As we are fast approaching August, I thought it may be an appropriate time to let you all know that through the entire month of August (i.e. 1st through 31st) the annual Small Business Festival will be run at several metropolitan and rural venues throughout the state.
In fact this year there are a striking number of workshops with over 400 listed on every conceivable business topic imaginable ranging from Business Planning and Financial Management to exporting & importing and marketing.
As usual yours truly will be participating and for those wishing to learn more about social media marketing and how it can be used to effectively help your business grow.
Naturally I'd like to invite you all to the August the 18th seminar, and to attend the full day workshop I'm doing with VECCI at 486 Albert St, East Melbourne going from 9 to 5pm.
Just call VECCI on (03) 86625211 to inquire and book your place for a great day.
Hope to see you there.
And until next time, good luck and good marketing.
Daniele.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Starting to Like Likestester
As is always the case with Social Media, there continues to be a seemingly endless stream of ongoing programs, apps and platforms that are released almost on a daily basis.
One new platform that you should consider joining and getting to know better is: Likester.
Likester is a a powerful platform that allows you to gain insight into what’s happening with any person or product brand that you may have any interest in.
Specifically it can be a tremendous channel to follow the latest updates of key rival businesses and plans, industry trends, key internal or external personnel or any other specific thing that you need to know more about.
This system can track individuals, locations and brands at no cost.
I think many will be glad they gave this program a closer look.
If you already use Likester or like it after your first look, please let us know with your comments and until next time,
Good luck and good marketing.
Daniele
One new platform that you should consider joining and getting to know better is: Likester.
Likester is a a powerful platform that allows you to gain insight into what’s happening with any person or product brand that you may have any interest in.
Specifically it can be a tremendous channel to follow the latest updates of key rival businesses and plans, industry trends, key internal or external personnel or any other specific thing that you need to know more about.
This system can track individuals, locations and brands at no cost.
I think many will be glad they gave this program a closer look.
If you already use Likester or like it after your first look, please let us know with your comments and until next time,
Good luck and good marketing.
Daniele
Saturday, July 16, 2011
The Question Is No Longer To Blog Or Not To Blog. But Rather How Often.
Over the last couple of years as the importance of blogging has been so beautifully highlighted by virtually all of the leading, social media marketers, I have made a concerted effort to encourage (and in some cases even cajole) my clients into starting and being committed to a business blog.
In my recent times it seems I'm repeating the same answer in the same discussion undertaken again and again, about how often should a blog be updated each month.
To answer this question there is some exciting new data by leading Social Media firm Hotspot. In a recent survey with over 4000 businesses, several key strategic insights were clearly revealed and providing a tremendous lead that we should all follow.
Amongst the most revealing data captured is the fact that Business-to-Business (B2B) businesses who blogged just 16 to 20 times per month received 3 times more leads than those who didn’t blog at all. Whilst Business - to - Consumer (B2C) businesses that blogged just 16 to 20 times per month got over 4 times more leads than those who didn’t blog.
So clearly its a case of blog, blog often and commit to producing quality content that helps position you and your business or brand as a thought leader or industry leading product amongst your preferred target audience.
To build up a good following takes time not a few weeks but rather one to two years but once it's done you will have a powerful resource at your disposal that you can leverage to great success. But more on that another time. For now the take out is simple. Your firm needs to blog regularly and engage the community of customers and prospects alike.
What about you. How often do you post to your blog and what are the key barriers that you think hold you back from posting more frequently. Please share your comments below.
And until next time, good luck and good marketing.
Daniele.
In my recent times it seems I'm repeating the same answer in the same discussion undertaken again and again, about how often should a blog be updated each month.
To answer this question there is some exciting new data by leading Social Media firm Hotspot. In a recent survey with over 4000 businesses, several key strategic insights were clearly revealed and providing a tremendous lead that we should all follow.
Amongst the most revealing data captured is the fact that Business-to-Business (B2B) businesses who blogged just 16 to 20 times per month received 3 times more leads than those who didn’t blog at all. Whilst Business - to - Consumer (B2C) businesses that blogged just 16 to 20 times per month got over 4 times more leads than those who didn’t blog.
So clearly its a case of blog, blog often and commit to producing quality content that helps position you and your business or brand as a thought leader or industry leading product amongst your preferred target audience.
To build up a good following takes time not a few weeks but rather one to two years but once it's done you will have a powerful resource at your disposal that you can leverage to great success. But more on that another time. For now the take out is simple. Your firm needs to blog regularly and engage the community of customers and prospects alike.
What about you. How often do you post to your blog and what are the key barriers that you think hold you back from posting more frequently. Please share your comments below.
And until next time, good luck and good marketing.
Daniele.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
New Research Shows That Social Media is the Most Effective Promotional Platform
Recent marketing research by technology firm Roost has revealed exactly how effective social media is in comparison to other promotional options. Specifically it has been shown to be the most effective option.
Roost is a business development company that helps its clients drive new business contacts focusing on social media marketing platforms.
Almost three quarters of the respondents (72%) have according to the recent Roost survey; found that social media marketing is the most effective channel for promotion to its target audience for SME's.
This figure may not come as any surprise to readers but the fact that only (15%) who responded that paid search marketing was the most effective for them.
Specifically of the major the social media marketing platforms the responding business tend to use, almost 85% said that Facebook was the most effective for them.
Although this data is further evidence of the ongoing adoption and success of social media, there are still many SME's that continue to grapple with social media and specifically how best to use it and integrate it with more traditional modes of promotion such as print and electronic advertising.
How successful has social media been for your business? Drop us a line and let us know.
And until next time, good luck and good marketing.
Daniele.
Roost is a business development company that helps its clients drive new business contacts focusing on social media marketing platforms.
Almost three quarters of the respondents (72%) have according to the recent Roost survey; found that social media marketing is the most effective channel for promotion to its target audience for SME's.
This figure may not come as any surprise to readers but the fact that only (15%) who responded that paid search marketing was the most effective for them.
Specifically of the major the social media marketing platforms the responding business tend to use, almost 85% said that Facebook was the most effective for them.
Although this data is further evidence of the ongoing adoption and success of social media, there are still many SME's that continue to grapple with social media and specifically how best to use it and integrate it with more traditional modes of promotion such as print and electronic advertising.
How successful has social media been for your business? Drop us a line and let us know.
And until next time, good luck and good marketing.
Daniele.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
The Single Biggest Mistake In Social Media Marketing Continues to be the Hard Sell
Social media continues to undergo change and development at a staggering rate.
However despite the dynamic nature of this medium the biggest mistake that continues to be made by marketers is the unfailing desire to sell their product.
Message to the uninitiated, Social media is not about selling its about being part of a community of individuals with a common passion, problem or defined need.
Once this community is established and attracts members, the members gain currency within the group be ongoing involvement and engagement.
People's expectation is not to be sold to but given information, support, empathy whilst providing appropriate content as needed.
Over time as you gain standing within your community the opportunities will eventually arrive where as part of a balanced discussion and solution you will earn the right to provide a possible solution and redirect the discussion away from a communal platform to a commercially based location such as a corporate website or fan page with commercial service capabilities.
A balanced approach for example may include ten blog posts with another directly providing an offer for a commercial product or service, given that it is an effective option to meeting some aspect of the person's unmet need.
Social media is about being social, otherwise it would be called business media marketing.
Don't make the same mistake that so many others make. Contribute, care provide content and eventually were appropriate, commercialise your wares.
What other mistakes do you see people making with their social media marketing?
Until next time, good marketing and good luck.
Daniele.
However despite the dynamic nature of this medium the biggest mistake that continues to be made by marketers is the unfailing desire to sell their product.
Message to the uninitiated, Social media is not about selling its about being part of a community of individuals with a common passion, problem or defined need.
Once this community is established and attracts members, the members gain currency within the group be ongoing involvement and engagement.
People's expectation is not to be sold to but given information, support, empathy whilst providing appropriate content as needed.
Over time as you gain standing within your community the opportunities will eventually arrive where as part of a balanced discussion and solution you will earn the right to provide a possible solution and redirect the discussion away from a communal platform to a commercially based location such as a corporate website or fan page with commercial service capabilities.
A balanced approach for example may include ten blog posts with another directly providing an offer for a commercial product or service, given that it is an effective option to meeting some aspect of the person's unmet need.
Social media is about being social, otherwise it would be called business media marketing.
Don't make the same mistake that so many others make. Contribute, care provide content and eventually were appropriate, commercialise your wares.
What other mistakes do you see people making with their social media marketing?
Until next time, good marketing and good luck.
Daniele.
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