Tag Archives: Social Media

Business

Can Entrepreneurs Learn From LeBron James’ Career and Decisions?

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LeBron James
Keith Allison / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Sports are often looked at as a recreational activity more than the business it really is. Owners, coaches, and players are all part of a major business; in the US the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB are the major corporations and the coaches and players are the employees or contractors. While they’re never looked at this way, players are however entrepreneur-like; they take risks, make their own decisions based on self-interest, and what option better suits them in the long run. Current and future entrepreneurs can learn from the decisions players make, and LeBron James’ career is the best example.

The average fan’s perception of LeBron is that he’s a mercenary, jumping from one team to another to win a championship, instead of staying with one team and being successful with the organization that drafted him. However, his decision to leave Cleveland isn’t too different than an employee leaving his/her job to start a business, or an investor parting ways with a company that isn’t making money. LeBron has a goal, and that is to win a championship, whether that’s in Cleveland, Miami, or anywhere else that has a chance to do something great. We all have dreams and aspirations to run a business and grow it into something bigger to be successful, so why should a player’s situation be looked at differently?

The backlash LeBron got for leaving Cleveland is similar to how friends and even family look at our own decisions to start a business, be an entrepreneur, and not go the same route our predecessors traveled. In this case, Michael Jordan’s “loyalty” to the Chicago Bulls is the standard James is held to, but instead LeBron decided to be a man and make a decision that would change the NBA forever.

Just as successful business owners and entrepreneurs have set the standard for excellence, James has created a frenzy in the NBA, and every superstar wants the opportunity to create a super team and win championships. As entrepreneurs we dream of success, and players dream of winning the championship, that’s how fans should look at the decisions stars make.

In the final analysis, LeBron didn’t listen to critics for going to Miami, as we shouldn’t listen to the doubters in our own lives, but feed off that doubt and do something amazing. We are all meant to shine in our own way. For some, like Michael Jordan, staying with one team, or being an employee works. But for that one individual who is going nowhere and not reaching their goal, the decision has to be made, whether to play it safe and remain average, or start a business, become successful, and silence the criticism and doubt.

Business, Marketing

How Social Media Marketing Can Change the Perception of Marketers

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salesman
hahatango / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

The advertising and marketing industry is always looked down upon by consumers, and rightly so. At least once in their lifetime they were fooled into buying a product that either didn’t live up to expectations or was a complete waste of money that some cold-calling marketer, or even salesperson, pressured them into buying. With movies depicting advertising agents and marketers in a bad light, the perception consumers have of the industry isn’t a good one, but with social media that can all change. Needless to say, there will still be dishonest marketers trying to make money off customers, but for the honest ones, here is your time to shine.

Social media marketing, whether on Facebook, Twitter, or any other platform, gives the marketer the opportunity to be not only professional, but social and real. Just as the company he or she works for, the marketer has a reputation that can easily be tarnished, and have to face the repercussions of treating a customer poorly for years to come. Because of social media and the internet, our faces and information about us is accessible and customers can post reviews about companies or individuals and also confront these businesses and individuals through direct messaging. This should be the first realization for not only marketers, but anyone who is trying to build a reputation, attract clients, or prove to followers that you’re an experienced, credible professional in your field.

In my time as a sports journalist and editor, my primary goal was to give accurate information about the team I was writing about. So it was inexcusable to post an article with a title that was misleading, with the knowledge that the site could be looked at as a blog that gives out false information, and pulls the bait and switch. This can be applied to social media marketing. When displaying the product or service on your Facebook page, first think as a customer and what you would want to see from a business you shop at. Next, don’t give out false or misleading information; be up front and honest with factual information. Lastly, don’t just tell your customers why they should buy the product or service, but show them. Link to other sites that backup the information you’re telling people. By giving the customer independent information, it further validates your credibility.

Always have your customers’ best interest in mind. Treat them well, and they will return. That’s why social media can change the perception consumers have towards marketers and advertisers in general. Show them that you’re as much of a customer as they are. Be real and honest, and you’ll have customers for life who will return and spend their money for your product or service. We all see the fake side of social media when used for personal use, but for businesses, this is your opportunity to show how real and serious of a company you are. A customer’s trust is crucial to have a surviving and thriving business, and with social media marketing, you can prove to everyone why they should buy your products, or walk into your store.

Business, Marketing

Social Media Matters: How Pinterest Can Be Used In Marketing and Business

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Pinterest_logo
Raul P / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

When we think of Pinterest, the first thought that probably comes to mind is that it’s a social media platform that’s primarily used by women. This idea is very narrow-minded and negates the average consumer and business owner from seeing the effect Pinterest has in terms of marketing and business. Yes it’s a platform dominated by pictures, but those pictures have links, and those links can direct the user right to your company’s website or online store. In simpler terms, Pinterest is basically an SEO/Social media outlet that guides consumers to a specific site without reading a list of article titles and instead, pictures that grab the attention of the consumer.

Say for example your business specializes in beach chairs, hammocks, and other products that are primarily bought before or during the summer. If you have an online store or sell your products on Amazon, people who are in need of these summer essentials will search for that product and when they find a chair or hammock they like, they’ll buy it. With Pinterest, you’re subtly and casually reaching out to the customer with pictures of your product, making it a comfortable experience for the potential buyer.

To be an effective seller on Pinterest that captures the viewer’s attention, you must rip a page out of old-school marketing that we all learned at a young age, even if we didn’t take actual business courses. Take a high quality picture of someone relaxing in your beach chair or hammock; the ideal location would be the beach or backyard that puts the consumer in the shoes of the person who is reclining in your products. Before buying anything, consumers picture themselves using the product they’re interested in. In this case, they’re probably imagining getting a nice tan, feeling the warmth of summer, or that relaxation they so desperately want. You want to meet them in the middle, and the picture creates the experience for the consumer.

Hammock

Pinterest can also be applied to contractors’ marketing strategies. By showing people what your business can do for someone’s home, that is the best form of marketing. It’s easy to say on a website that, “We remodel homes and create a comfortable living environment for your family”, but by displaying your work on Pinterest, where customers can see your skills shine, you’ll make a bigger impression on people than if you wrote a 600 word blog post describing what their room or house will look like after you’re team is done.

It’s all about creativity and giving the viewer the opportunity to imagine using your product or experiencing the change your services provided them. Pinterest is a way to connect with customers through the use of pictures instead of text. If you can get viewers to re-pin, click, and buy your products, you’ve mastered Pinterest. Social media is a powerful marketing tool that has endless amounts of potential. Some platforms work better for some companies depending on the industry, but if Pinterest can be of any use to your business, you must utilize it.

Business, Marketing

Social Media Matters: Twitter Incorporating an Analytics Page?

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A few days ago, I received an email from Twitter for one of my accounts, giving me information on the amount of views I got on a particular link I posted. It told me what was the most popular tweet I shared during the week, and also how many followers I accumulated. As most of you know or have probably seen, Twitter has made changes to profile pages, making all tweets more vivid and enabling you to put a popular tweet at the top of your Twitter timeline. With these subtle add ons and changes, could we be seeing the future and growing potential Twitter may have for businesses both big and small?

The first thought that came to mind with the analytics email was that this would be an important tool to gauge how effective marketing and advertising on Twitter really is. This also gives the user valuable information as they’ll get a better idea as to what content draws the most views and creates buzz. Right now that is what’s lacking from Twitter, and while your website’s analytics page gives you certain information, it doesn’t exceed the boundaries of the site itself.

If this becomes an added feature to Twitter, this further enhances the effectiveness of social media marketing, and gives the business owner another tool to see what works for the company and what doesn’t. Search engine optimization is slowly being replaced by social media optimization, which unlike Google, Yahoo, and Bing, targets a specific audience and gives the customer or viewer exactly what they want. This also works for the marketer or business owner, as social media is beginning to drive more traffic to sites making keywords obsolete as opposed to hashtags, which are being used across most social media apps.

Also by giving the statistics on what the most popular tweet of the week was, it then lets the account manager know what gets attention and how other users respond to it. Instead of sitting around thinking of what to Tweet next or thinking of a clever statement, companies could use the same blueprint based off the analytics to tailor to a specific audience, something that they don’t have right now, forcing them to use their own judgment. If business owners know what makes their followers tick, they’ll continue posting content that creates interaction and further development of the customer base on social media.

Facebook, Twitter, and all other social media outlets are the future of marketing and advertising, and receiving an email from Twitter that gives me information on my tweets and links, proves that how businesses reach potential customers is changing. It will be interesting to see if Twitter does in fact implement an analytics page on the site itself, or continue sending emails to their users. Either way, this could be vital to a business, especially those who market and advertise on social media.

However, the only question that has to be raised is whether this will be used for businesses only. Analytics to companies and marketers are extremely important, but to a high schooler or college student who has no interest in either career paths wouldn’t find an analytics page useful.

Business, Marketing

Social Media Matters: Startups Need To Obtain A Following Before Thriving

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It sounds quite simple, but so easily forgotten. Startups must acquire a following before posting web content and utilizing SEO. How can this be accomplished? Looking to social media is the best way to grow a following even before your company is ready for business.

As important as SEO is to a business, you need a loyal following to grow the customer base. Continuously posting web content will get you higher on the search engines, but if you’re new to blogging or a startup business, researching SEO shouldn’t be the top priority. You need readers, buyers, and clients, and social media speeds up the process, as you can target the customers you know will be buying your products or calling for the services you offer.

Some business owners and independent bloggers who don’t know SEO, will suffer the consequences as they’ll post content, but no one will be reading. Facebook and Twitter can offer a remedy, and by spending as little as $5 a day, they’ll be sending ads to users who will be interested in the blog, business, or just the Facebook page itself. Once you have a decent following, then start sharing the content, and because they were specifically targeted, they most likely have friends who are interested in the same topic or product. This is a form of buzz marketing, and it works. If SEO isn’t you’re strong suit, look to social media.

Social media is the future; it’s an inexpensive way to market and advertise your business and or blog. What makes Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for a business so great is that you’ve got the skills to maintain your social media outlets because you’ve already spent countless hours on these sites by using your own personal accounts. Some business owners are intimidated by this form of marketing, but it’s one the most rewarding and effective ways to make your company profitable.

As I’ve said in previous articles I have written, social media marketing allows you to talk with customers on a personal level, making the customer/owner relationship worth much more than in previous decades. You can interact with them and gauge what’s working, and what isn’t when it comes to both your communication and even business. As the saying goes, “The customer is always right”. Whether you believe it or not, those are the people who are making your wallet grow as long as you give them what they’re asking for.

Business, Marketing

Social Media Matters: Are Websites Still Necessary For Businesses?

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In a marketing sense, Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized how businesses advertise their products and reach out to their customers. Is it possible that the days of the website directing traffic to the company are over?

When going to a business’s website, whether it’s a store down the street, marketing firm, or contracting company, what do they all have in common? Usually an about page, what they do, who’s the owner, and how the long the company has been in business. There will be a contact information section where customers can see where the store is, what number to call, or who to e-mail. But social media, especially Facebook, can do all these things and more.

One of the biggest issues facing business owners is drawing in viewers and potential customers. SEO, or “search engine optimization”, has been taught to be the most effective way to reach a countless number of people, but business owners and even bloggers, either don’t have the time to learn it, or just don’t want to do it period. This is where the power of Facebook comes in.

“Like” pages can be a simpler solution and much easier to maintain than a website or blog. You can get your point across in a few sentences, post pictures of your product, and connect with your customers on a more personal level that websites can’t offer. Your contact information will be at the top of the page with your company’s phone number, and address if you have a brick and mortar store.

Best of all, you can advertise your Facebook page with ads that specifically target people who will be interested in what you’re selling. For $5 to $20 a day you can get the word about your business out to customers, with a certain amount of “likes” daily varying on how much money you spend on the Facebook ads. So far there have been a few companies who have only marketed and advertised on Facebook through ads on their page, and are reaping the benefits for it.

It’s still taught that social media should reinforce the main website, but after seeing firsthand that companies can thrive on social media alone, the website may not be as necessary as previously thought. If you already have a website, that’s great, but take the next step and get on social media. The future of marketing and advertising is here, and you want to be at the front of the line before your competitors finally see the potential social media has on their businesses.

Blogging

Getting Ahead in the Sports Journalism Industry

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The Coal Face 2007
jontangerine / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

 

Having been an editor for HardwoodHoudini.com and writer and creator of Bostonbball.com for over three years, I’ve picked up and learned a few things about the sports journalism industry from a blogger’s point of view. In those three years, changes in the way sports news was being distributed really evolved into something more, as Twitter became the best way to report trade rumors, free agency signings, and injury updates. While social media was a godsend for smaller blogs and websites, it did hamper the effectiveness of the individual blogger and diminished his or her chances of being noticed.

For those of you who blog about your favorite team or sport, you’re competing with news outlets, bigger blogs, and the other individual blogger or writer who is following you on Twitter. You’re just one in a million and can easily get lost in the crowd as there will always be someone who can write better than you and post more articles in a 24 hour timespan. The biggest challenge that you face is standing out and getting ahead of your competition. But how can this be accomplished, especially when you’re dealing with hundreds of other bloggers just like you?

Had I known about the power of social media and it’s ability to reach a broader audience, I would have employed a marketing strategy. Yes, marketing isn’t exclusive to business, advertising, and commercials; we constantly market ourselves, our brand, and who we are as a person on a daily basis. So let’s start asking ourselves a few questions. Why am I not standing out or getting noticed? How can I be seen as an experienced professional, one who knows the sport better than any other blogger on the internet, and show news outlets such as Bleacher Report that I’m the real deal? What must I do to make my dreams to become a reality?

Most bloggers stick to what they know, which is writing. While the safe road can lead to bigger and better opportunities, it’s always the ones who innovate and think outside the box who do something special in their lives. What form of sports journalism hasn’t been exploited yet by small blogs? Video content and podcasts.

Think for a second about your favorite sports writer. Being from Boston, writers such as Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe and Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald come to mind, but they do more than write articles. They appear on radio talk shows and local and national television. So how can you replicate them on a smaller scale? The answer lies within YouTube and podcasts.

Creating a YouTube account and posting a weekly video is enough to attract viewers and readership. Not only hasn’t this been used by many freelance bloggers, but this gives your current reader base an opportunity to see you and understand you more than if they just read your latest article. Appearing in front of a camera and talking about your favorite team or sport isn’t a skill many bloggers in the sports journalism industry have, leaving the door wide open for someone like you.

Start a podcast. This can be your radio show; once again giving you another avenue for attracting potential readers and lifelong followers. Some of the bigger blogs have already ventured out into this sector of social media, but it still hasn’t caught on to the point that you’re competing with hundreds of other individuals and bloggers.

When it comes to sports journalism, don’t be a carbon copy of everyone else. Readers and viewers want someone who is not only unique, but very informative and down to earth. There is no better way to accomplish this than by going the extra mile and posting weekly videos and podcasts. This is the best way to be found, and the more you post on all social media sites, create videos and podcasts, and consistently post on your blog, the higher you’ll be on all the search engines.

Remember, make yourself irreplaceable and valuable. Blog sites and news outlets can always find another person like you, but if you stand out and do what no one else is, you’ll reap the rewards.