Tag Archives: Facebook

Business, Economy, Marketing

Social Media: You’re Personal Branding Every Minute Of Everyday

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What if I told you that at this very minute your personal brand and future career is being shaped? That every tweet, every status, every Instagram photo, and Snapchat picture you post today has an effect on how others perceive you tomorrow. I’m not just talking about your peers, but also employers, bosses, CEO’s, innovators, and big-time influencers. Your tweets are reaching someone, no matter how informative or silly they are, someone is reading them, and they’re not one of your followers. This is what at times is very hard for the mind to rap around, but social media can be your greatest asset, or the tool that gets you fired from your job, and possibly destroys your career.

Most of you have probably heard or read of someone getting fired for what they’ve said online. Last month, a teenage girl was fired from a job she hadn’t even started working at yet because she tweeted her disgust about working at the pizza shop. What you say can have dire consequences, which is why social media in most cases should be used with discretion and a sense of professionalism in mind. We’re living in a time in which everything we say on the Internet is documented and held under a microscope, and it’s time we start using social media the way it was intended.

Because trolls and childish commenters don’t deserve the light of day on a professional matter such as personal branding, I’m going to focus on how it’s essential to post mature and valuable content that will be worth reading and responding to. If you’re someone who takes professionalism and your career seriously, you’re going to prosper on social media because very few millennials are taking advantage of such a powerful tool that could change their lives around.

Companies and businesses are constantly searching on Twitter for content to respond to, retweet, and acquire clients and customers. Are you one of those tweeters who continues to write good and valuable content? Well keep it up because you will get noticed eventually. Take advantage of the voice social media has given to you and show the world (literally) what you know. Your tweets are reaching people across the country and in your own back yard.

When it comes to Facebook, are you engaging with your favorite fan page when they post content? Are you offering any valuable advice in the comment section, or giving a worthy response with your opinion that could change other’s perceptions? If not, start now. You can become an influencer just by consistently engaging on these pages, and who knows, maybe the social media department of these magazines or companies will take notice. Great content is never overshadowed because people will read it. Sometimes the responses aren’t aligned with your opinions, but you’re creating buzz and traffic for that fan page, and that’s important. Engagement and traffic is just as good as money for these social media pages, and if you’re bringing that in the right way, you have no idea where that might lead you.

There was once a time in which you had to apply for a job, seek out openings, and hope you offered more than the other applicants. Today, it’s the opposite. Companies and businesses seek you out. They want talent and young professionals who are ready for the work force. Admirable characteristics have become a lost art these days, but for those who still carry themselves like the people and professionals who came before them, they will find jobs and attract businesses and influencers to them and in essence, they also become influencers themselves.

It’s 2015. Millennials need to understand that every tweet, status, or blog post is their personal brand. We’re not Generation X or the Baby Boomers, our personal brand isn’t created the minute we step into the work force, it’s being built right now.

Twitter is an extremely powerful platform that could make anything we say go viral or reach people of importance. That’s why I recommend making accounts private if you have no regard for your own image and brand. The things I see people my age sharing on Twitter is outrageous and downright embarrassing. On the flip side, I see many people who are gifted with great talent and ability, but never use Twitter to their advantage or completely misuse it.

Social media, if used right, can propel your career to levels that people our age 20 years ago could only dream of experiencing. Our career’s fate could be sealed by one tweet or status, and that’s why Twitter should be used with discretion and professionalism.

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Blogging, Business, Economy, Marketing

Effective Social Media Marketing Starts With the Person Behind the Account

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Effective social media marketing all comes down to the level of intensity, passion, and love for the product, business, or service your company is offering. If you don’t believe in the product, are unsure whether it will sell, or have very little interest in what you’re selling, I can guarantee you will not see the results you are hoping for. A business owner, Youtube vlogger, blogger, or social media manager’s passion for what they’re selling, talking, or writing about is present in their work. If they love what they’re doing, it will be shown through the quality of their work.

The person behind the social media accounts, whether they’re the marketer or the business owner, take on the business’, blog’s, or website’s brand. That brand is constantly being shared through the statuses, pictures, and tweets, and the passion that the social media manger has for whatever is being sold or shared will ignite others to respond and take a closer look at what your company does or what your website talks about. Social media has become the face of the company’s brand. While you, along with what you post, is the heart and soul. If you write or share content that comes directly from the passion you have for the subject, you will get noticed.

This coincides with the amount of times you should post on your social media pages. People always ask, “How many times per day should I post content on my accounts?” My answer is, if you truly love and believe in what you’re selling, the number of times you post no longer becomes an issue because you’ll always find interesting content to share with your followers.

On Twitter, why are some entrepreneurs better at maintaining their large group of followers while others become the occasional tweeter who just shares content but nothing more valuable? Some would say lack of time, but if you truly love your business you most likely want to talk about it to anyone who wants to engage in a conversation. Who knows, you could learn something from your followers by listening to them and engaging in two way conversations.

Social media marketing really does come down to the passion you have for your business, service, or product. Being apprehensive and shy towards reaching out to potential clients and customers becomes less of a problem when your truly believe in what you’re offering to make their lives and businesses better. Just as when we were in school, we never put in the effort to do better in the subjects we hated or had no interest in. But those classes that made us think, be creative, and formulate new ideas were what got us through school.

Whether it’s a hobby or the line of work you do, social media is the tool that helps us reach out to like-minded individuals, clients, and customers who will walk into your store’s doors or buy your products online. It’s imperative that we use social media to our advantage and see a ROI that you’ll never get from traditional forms of marketing.

Economy, Marketing

It May Be A Great Product, But What Do The Sales Figures Say?

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Walkman
muadib.ar / Foter / CC BY-SA

Whether you’re selling candy, clothes, automobiles, tech gadgets, or any other products you can think of, everything you do behind the scenes and in your marketing strategy mean nothing unless the sales figures reflect the day-to-day operations and processes. The product may be great, it may look cool, and you may think it sells, but if there are no buyers and sales figures are down, changes have to be made to create a desire and want for the product you’re trying to sell. When it comes to products, there is so much to selling and marketing than what you, or your friends think, and what may seem popular in one clique, could be completely irrelevant to a broader customer base and bigger target markets.

At the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sony unveiled their new Walkman (I know, we’ve suddenly taken a trip to the past). It will be on sale for a mere $1200 this Spring. While Generation X can have their flashbacks down memory lane, the issue comes down to what we should expect in terms of sales figures. Taking on Apple where they’ve dominated since the beginning of the millennium is a very bold strategy. Most MP3 players have failed against the iPod, why should the Walkman expect to steal market share away from Apple?

At $1200, are consumers really going to buy that over the traditional iPod? As a consumer and student of business, these questions have to be raised. We’ll find out soon enough, but let’s move our attention to automobiles that are selling, and in particular Cadillac.

Over the past 6 months all you’ve heard from Cadillac is how they’re going to take on BMW, Audi, and Mercedes Benz. ‘The reign of the German Big Three is coming to a close because they’re not making cars like Cadillac’, is essentially what the leaders of the American luxury brand has bragged. Well, the annual sales figures have been released, and it’s time to see who has ended up with egg on their face.

According to goodcarbadcar.net here are the statistics.

Audi: Sales up 15.2% in 2014 from the previous year.
BMW: Sales up 9.8% in 2014 from the previous year.
Mercedes Benz: Sales up 6.5% in 2014 from the previous year

And then there’s Cadillac.

Sales figures down 6.5% in 2015 from the previous year.

Cadillac is improving from what they’ve produced over the past few years, the problem however is the very strong perception that Cadillacs are still owned by older folks, and even worse they’re still a branch of GM. Once again, the product can look great and may be a better option, but the sales figures don’t show that.

Another example is coming from a different side of the business spectrum, the branding, marketing, and advertising branch of business. Entrepreneur Magazine shared an article discussing 10 of the worst new logos for big companies in 2014. While a few are clearly bad, others were an improvement and further developed the brand and direction the company is moving in. Whether these logos were bad or not, what do the sales figures have to say?

Personal opinion is what blinds us all from seeing the truth, and in this instance I’m talking about business, and this can be from the owner or the consumer. Sales figures show no bias, they have no favorites, they reflect the changes that really matter, positive or negative. Sony’s Walkman could be a huge bust or a success, but at $1200 let’s see how long that price lasts when consumers can buy an iPod for much less. Cadillac is being aggressive, attacking the German auto brands and trying to compete against the most popular car companies in the world. In 2014 they failed to live up to the hype. Lastly, personal opinion that fails to see what the sales figures really say, loses all credibility.

In business there are two things you must be aware of, listen to, and learn from. Sales figures and the consumer. These two aspects tell the truth. The customer is always right, and sales figures are never wrong.

Marketing

Marketing Your Business Or Product Through Storytelling

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BuzzFeed
Scott Beale / iWoman / CC BY-NC-ND

In this day and age, the last thing you probably want to see from companies is an annoying ad that jumps on your screen that slows you down from watching a video or reading an important article. We’re now living in a time where businesses don’t have to waste money marketing with written ads, TV commercials, outdoor marketing, or even email marketing, which has seen a decline in effectiveness since social media’s emergence. With that being said, these same businesses can make a two minute video that captures your attention and emotions towards a particular product and make those two minutes worth your time. However, businesses don’t capitalize on storytelling, despite the fact that they have all the tools at their disposal.

Toyota paired up with Buzzfeed to create a funny two minute video comparing your first car, which was probably a lemon, and your real first car that’s new, clean, and cool to look at. By comparing how we treat both cars, any driver can relate. My first car had no power windows, no power locks, and a horrible sound system. I didn’t care if was clean on the outside, all that mattered was that it drove. But when the new car came around, you can believe that there were strict rules about eating and drinking in the car. This video was promotion for a Toyota Corolla, and by creating that emotional connection, viewers could easily relate. Plain and simple this was a car ad masked by using Buzzfeed to help promote the car by telling a story.

The question that I’ve asked myself is why aren’t other car companies or even businesses doing this? It’s one thing to create a cute 30 second TV commercial, but it’s quite another to get a reaction to a longer, well thought out video that gets immediate results. I’m not interested in a Corolla, but for 20 somethings who are in need of a car, they may consider buying the Toyota because of Buzzfeed’s marketing and storytelling that got the viewer thinking and made them reminisce about the old days.

As a business owner of a web design company, BostonWebWorx, I know the difficulties of trying to create a website by yourself. It’s not easy, and most web design books don’t help because they assume that you have some understanding of the basics, which we all know we weren’t taught in school. By once being that teenager trying to create his first blog and spending more time on the appearance than the content, I know that feeling and frustration. With my business and team I’ve assembled, web design has become very simple, and best of all, because we use WordPress designs, there’s less hassle and no headaches for you. Google analytics and SEO are already taken care of, and if you want to change the content a few months later you can easily do so when you log into your account.

Because I can relate to the customers, I know where they’re coming from, I understand their frustration, and I can offer them a website they’ll be excited about. Just as the Toyota Corolla ad through Buzzfeed, they knew who they were targeting, understood their frustration, and offered a solution by showing off their Corolla to the audience they know are in need of a car. That’s how you market through storytelling. Most ads that you see on TV don’t create any connection which is why they don’t see a strong ROI. You need to tell a story, and with social media and Youtube you can accomplish that.

Business, Economy, Marketing

Is Social Media Becoming The Digital Golf Course For Business?

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Golf Course: West Virginia

Golf Course: West Virginia

The Internet and social media have changed how we do business, connect with other professionals, and communicate within the digital world that has been created and continues to evolve today. Prior to Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin’s existences, business was conducted through multiple avenues that required one to either travel, visit an office, play on a golf course, or have lengthy discussions on the phone or in person. Today, business decisions can be made with a click of a button, instant messaging, talking back and forth on social media platforms, and video conference calls. While many still do business as if it was 2003, heading into 2015 there are more time and cost efficient ways that can close deals within minutes.

Marketing isn’t what it used to be. What was once a “push and sell” philosophy has become more personalized and down to earth where both sides of a deal need to be familiar with each other and create a business relationship. That wasn’t completely necessary in years past. We live in the social media age where everything has become “social”. You can connect and follow a CEO who runs a business a few blocks down the street from where you live, and almost instantly create some form of a friendship through mutual interests if communication takes place.

Yes, this seems like something out of elementary school, but as Gary Vaynerchuk, who is the founder of Vayner Media and turned his father’s $3 mil wine business into $60 mil, has said repeatedly over the years that we’re seeing a youth movement in our society. A 40 year old man twenty or thirty years ago acted much older than a 40 year old in 2014. When adults are texting “LOL” and “OMG”, using hashtags, and talking about their favorite athlete or sports team on social media, you realize that how we socialize today can also shift how we market to multiple generations tomorrow.

The beginning stages of conducting business have been made on social media in the past, whether that’s B2C or B2B. When a 21 year old can talk to a 35-40 year old business owner on Twitter or Facebook, the foundation for a virtual interview is there. When that 21 year old who is an aspiring or current business owner starts talking with that experienced entrepreneur, a business connection can be made and it could lead to business transactions or a possible interview for an internship or job.

We are living in an amazing time. While you’ll say, “That doesn’t happen in business” it already has and will continue. Even in B2C marketing, Twitter has become the platform for businesses to offer their services to customers who might need it. I’ve seen business card offers, web design, SEO, advertising, and marketing pitches on social media, not just Twitter. Thinking that business can only be conducted the way it’s been for the past 100+ years in backwards thinking; we’re now heading into 2015.

The sooner we see the endless possibilities social media has, the sooner we can start advancing ahead in our careers, begin to build business relationships with people we may never have met, and grow strong business connections that not only benefit those your business’ services can help, but also get you loyal and lifelong customers and clients.

Business, Economy, Marketing

Content Marketing: Necessity vs Want

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Ferrari 458 Italia
Philipp Lücke / Foter / CC BY-NC

In any retail industry, marketers and advertisers can go one of two ways; market necessity or market want and desire. The two strategies can either lead to the same outcome or have drastic endings depending on the industry and product. Sears can promote a more expensive washer and dryer that goes above and beyond the call of duty, but if the average consumer only needs the basic models that cleans and dries the clothes and the price tag is within their means, they’ll pick that 9 out of 10 times. This is where businesses, informative blogs that help consumers make buying decisions, and magazines can either lose their customers or have an entire readership of clients of window shoppers who can’t buy the eye candy.

The automotive industry has this same problem, and with no help from car magazines and blogs, the dealership and consumer lose out. When you read your favorite car magazine, what are the cars they usually test drive? BMW’s, Mercedes Benz, Maserati’s, Ferrari’s and Porsche’s. While the magazine is creating eye appeal similar to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, it’s not being much help to the reader in the long run. Yes, for a moment in time they’ll be dreaming of driving that car, but there is no long-term value for the consumer, and instead of making the transition of reading to buying, they just read and dream.

I’ve always held Cars.com to a high standard as they promoted cars you can actually drive and buy, but even they fell into the trap of showing off the eye candy. It was interesting to see the features the BMW i8 comes with. But with a starting price of $135,000, how many of the thousands of readers will actually visit their local BMW dealer, test drive it, and buy it? Maybe 1-2% at best.

This has become the growing problem in the retail world since the early 2000’s. Some companies promote want over necessity. But if a majority of consumers live within their means, they’ll buy necessity products that are usually cheaper, but the number of sales will be drastically increased. It’s the same argument as going basic or premium. Most consumers will lean more towards basic models of a product more than the premium, unless they see long-term value.

In the summertime, people are more apt to buy an air conditioner with more features because they believe it will bring them more value and a cooler house. If you decide to promote want over necessity, you have to distinguish the difference in products. Unlike candy or tickets to a concert or sporting event, cars, washers and driers, air conditioners, TV’s, and laptops are products you have to live with for a while, they’re not just a one-time, one day event.

Always market value. The consumer will make the purchasing decision that best fits what they need, but if you persuade them to go premium, you have to complete the sale and be prepared for the multitude of possible questions they may ask. Long-term value is what it all comes down to, and as marketers and advertisers, you must show them that they do just that. Car salesmen try this tactic, but if the buyer sees that the basic car meets the demand and need while also giving them value, they’ll not pay extra for the car with leather and heated seats. There is no question that they want it, but do they need it? When it comes to cars, most consumers will stick within their means, smaller items and products on the other hand that are much more affordable and don’t require monthly payments could entice the buyer to go with want over necessity.

At the end of the day, if you promote and advertise premium and want, make sure they provide the best value for the consumer. Of course, your target market will certainly decide what route you take. But if your target audience is broad with different income levels, be prepared to sell hard on both, while also making sure each individual buyer is satisfied, whether they buy necessity or want.

Blogging, Business, Economy, Marketing

Reddit: Are You Willing To Take A Journey Into Uncharted Waters?

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Reddit logo
Kinologik / Foter / CC BY

Recently I’ve been experimenting with Reddit, which I will now refer to as the site where SEO gets a dose of steroids. What is a combination of social media, and as Reddit describes themselves “The front page of the Internet”, I’m a little leery of using this site on a daily basis until I fully understand the ins and outs. However, if you’re willing to take the plunge into uncharted waters, at least prepare yourselves for what could either be the greatest thing you’ve ever done, or something you wish you never experimented with.

Reddit frowns upon self-promotion by posting content that you’re directly related to, and for good reason due to the possibility of spamming. But there is another good reason for this that may not have been the initial intent by the site’s creators. When you post your own content, you’re fully exposing yourself to the elements and the community that Reddit has. This isn’t Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, this site is everything your parents or elders told you about the real world, it can get very cold and hostile. You risk the chance of being eaten alive, and it’s not because of the content you post, but because Reddit reaches 10 million people a day, there’s the possibility that you get viewers and readers who are not part of your niche market.

As a blogger of another site, I posted a few older articles for testing purposes to see what the response would be, and whether I’d gain more traffic. I got traffic alright, a few hundred views within an hour, but unfortunately it didn’t reach the people I really wanted. When you post a link, you have to submit it to a Subreddit, which is similar to a category, Google Adword, or hashtag, but these Subreddits are communities. There’s no way around them, you have to send your content to one of them. And this is where the problem lies.

Despite what I had read before signing up, it’s not as easy to curate your content to niche markets depending on what you write. Business, marketing, and economy related content works great, however these Subreddits have strict policies on self-promotional links. Other topics such as hobbies can easily be placed in the wrong categories and Subreddits that reach people who are not in your target audience or niche market. Unlike Twitter and Facebook, the Reddit community is a completely different group that can either be your best friend or worst enemy.

From a business standpoint, I’d stick with SEO and social media marketing, excluding Reddit, unless you’re going there to be part of a community. I’d be very careful as to what I’d post when it comes to your specific business. Back when MySpace first came out, parents were very concerned about kids exposing themselves to the Internet to a bunch of strangers, and while we can all laugh about it now, I as a millennial am concerned about Reddit because it’s so different from Facebook and Twitter.

I’m not writing this to completely discourage you from joining or giving you a false impression of Reddit, but there does need to be a warning label that comes with it when you’re trying to grow a following or sharing your own content. For some of you, it might be the best experience and decision you’ve ever made and some people are thriving off it, but if you’re trying to target a specific group of consumers or audience, there is nothing wrong with sticking to Facebook, Twitter, and SEO.

In conclusion, if you’re a blogger who is trying to reach a big audience, you can see exponential growth and notoriety within a day, but if you’re a niche blogger you risk having your content being read by people who you have no interest in reaching. It all depends on what your objective is when using Reddit. Personally, I will stick with more conventional forms of marketing and content sharing until I fully grasp Reddit and it’s community. Again, I’m not saying it’s bad, but just be careful if you are interested in joining. It’s powerful and I saw an increase in exposure, but not all of the results were positive.