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We've heard a lot about content marketing and how it can create traffic, leads and sales for your business. What we haven't heard a lot about is utilizing content marketing to help build and retain your online reputation. Up until now most business owners have felt like they were powerless over the online review sites like Yelp and Google+. The information on these sites can dictate whether a prospect will buy from you or not. When 94% of … [Read more...]
90% of Americans say their buying decisions are influenced by online reviews. Social Media and online ratings go hand in hand. Thousands of people share their experiences online everyday with their friends and family. Many are compelled to take it a step further and write a review on Google+ or Yelp, which in turn shows up in search results for other prospective buyers. This wave of interpersonal sharing of experiences has morphed into one of … [Read more...]
Social Media is not free. Many people think it is because the platforms give you real estate to use as you wish. If you're using social media for personal reasons, there's very little financial investment needed. However, if you're a business who wants to connect with customers and prospects, engage them in daily conversations and ultimately drive leads and sales, you need to allocate a portion of your budget to invest in Social Media … [Read more...]
"Social Media doesn't fix anything. I just amplifies things. If your restaurant sucks, it just sucks harder on Social Media. It doesn't make your chicken fingers taste better or your beer taste bolder. Social Media is not a good place to go if you're terrible at what you do." ~Scott Stratten @Unmarketing How awesome is it to do business with you? Customer experience is one of the single most talked about subjects on Social Media. People love … [Read more...]
I presented at a conference recently and discovered that 75% of the audience had never run a Facebook ad. While this wasn't that surprising, I did shed a private tear for all those dealerships who are missing out on an awesome opportunity to generate leads and sales on social media. Maybe you're one of those? Let's change that. Do you spend so much time discounting social media that the medium has past you by? Some find it amusing to bash … [Read more...]
"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." ~Judy Garland Fall conference season for the automotive industry means it's a time for me to travel around the country evangelizing Social Media marketing and online reputation strategy. I was in Orlando recently for an independent auto dealers convention. These are non-new-car-franchise dealers who are thirsty for information and are challenged … [Read more...]
Information is power. This isn't just some fluffy phrase uttered by motivational speakers in hotel banquet rooms. Information leads to freedom and higher profits for your business. When you know more your can do more. Ah, but how to actually discern truth from fiction. When I talk to business owners lately, I find there's a lot of misinformation being spread throughout the land (mostly by vendor salespeople who don't have the same goals you … [Read more...]
Online ratings are what brought me to Social Media marketing. It was 2008 and I foresaw the direct correlation between online ratings, social networking and business operations. I discovered customers were talking to one another instead of listening to advertisements. Social Media fueled their conversation and now online ratings are one of the first places people go when they're looking for solid, trustworthy advice. After my years as a … [Read more...]
How important is it to have the right people representing your business on Social Media? You most likely have potential employees go through a stringent hiring process because they will be representing you to your customers. It's important to have the same rigorous plan of action when deciding your Social Media marketing strategy. Social Media marketing became a real player over 5 years ago. Lately, I see a lot more "social media providers" … [Read more...]
"Hire someone who is passionate about your business. Don’t just hire anyone.” Many business owners are becoming more interested in Social Media marketing. They've seen how it can drive leads and sales and boost their online reputation. However, many of them are not spending a lot of time on Social networks personally, so it’s quite a challenge to figure out who the best person is to handle their business' online presence and what that person's … [Read more...]