Did you miss our Limited Resource Marketing Webinar?
Don't despair! We recorded our recent webinar for your viewing pleasure. Whether you are watching it for the first time or as a refresher, The Web Marketing Therapist Lorrie Thomas offers up fantastic tips to make your marketing do double (or, triple) time, through prioritization and multi-tasking tips!
You can view and download the webinar slides here.
We had an overwhelming number of questions after the webinar in which Lorrie Thomas was kind enough to take the time to answer. We have included those below as an added bonus!
1. What websites are best to use to create a blog on the web -- credible sites that get a lot of attention?
There are so many! WordPress, Blogger, Squarespace, Tumblr. Choose a platform that works best for you and do your homework – read http://www.wilsonweb.com/design/thomas-blog-options.htm for more thoughts.
2. Do you know how to help convince executives that blogs are good? There is still a stigma that blogs are not credible...
I find screaming and yelling works well (kidding!) Sometimes marketing is more “marketing” the idea that blogs are great internally, I can feel your pain on this one. As The Marketing Therapist®, I say the first step is getting clear from the execs WHY they think blogs are not good. I use the expression “Help me understand (the blog hesitation…)” to ask clarifying questions that are sans judgment or any defensiveness to get to the reason why. You can address the concerns with logical rationale and often statistics (all over the web). Blogs require strategy, management and maintenance. I have a chapter on it in my book that is very easy to get a head around and can help start the gearing up to sell the idea internally.
3. How much time do you spend on social media?
Personally, I spend very little time on social media. It’s an easy way to share information and converse, but I spent more as I got started because I didn’t have my groove on (yet). I tweet from my Blackberry, check in on Facebook a few times a day (I have three Facebook pages) and I blog as Healthy Marketing Advice comes to me. For limited resource marketers, I find that the pattern gets settled in about 3 months. I’d say that social media should be no more than 15-25% of a marketer’s day. The more you can automate social media (having your blog automagically feed into Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn), the less time you spend.
4. What is your opinion of getting people to like your Facebook page? How do you recommend to do that? Targeted ad, e-mail or inbox message?
The more QUALITY people who like your page, the more your message gets out. The name of the Facebook page game is VALUE. WHY should someone like your page What do they get? Deals? Community? Tips? Once you have your page value defined then you can do an email announcement and encourage people on your website. A targeted ad may be too much money unless the ad is on Facebook to get people there. You get people to like your page by offering valuable content!
5. My website is one of the static kind, so I cannot add content from my site to Facebook, what do you recommend?
I suggest you start blogging! Free blog tools like Blogger and Wordpress can link from your website and the blog can become your social media nucleus. If your website is static and works – keep it, but adding an extension via a blog could be a nice addition. Attend my Sophisticated Social Media Marketing Webinar with Zoomerang on June 22 where I share blog tips.
6. How do I feed from my blog to FB? What was the feed service you mentioned?
I like NetworkedBlogs, go to Facebook and search this and the rest will be guided for you.
7. How do I get the link and logo on my email signature?
I like WiseStamp which adds the widgets for you, but I also am a big fan of just using the email signature setter-upper in your email program/ My company runs on Gmail and I just add my social media links and images to the auto-signature setting. (When in doubt, Google this stuff, there are tons of tips on the web)
8. What's the best way to get started blogging?
Read my free To blog or not to blog? eBook http://bit.ly/4F4iSI and decide if you want to use a free blog platform or paid (read http://www.wilsonweb.com/design/thomas-blog-options.htm ) and make your blog your social media nucleus.
9. You mentioned repurposing old but still relevant articles - what are the rules/guidelines about sourcing the original content?
Great question. If it is YOUR content (you wrote it) then you can repurpose away. If it is someone elses, you have to get permission to use the content. If the not-your-content material is web based, you can link to it from your blog IF you credit the source and quote (copying the whole article with quotes around it is not acceptable).
10. I run a Marketing & Sales consultancy and have a blog style website. I always struggle with coming up with topics people care about. Any tips on content development?
A few ideas. One -ask them what they want with a survey (use Zoomerang!) Two, when you think content, make sure your blog theme is bigger than you. Example: My blog is about Healthy Marketing Advice so that is bigger than just what my company works on day to day and it gives us lots of playing room for ideas. Three, become a “web gemologist” by becoming a place for all things about your blog theme so people think “gosh, that blog has the best download on all things ___” and they go to you as the go-to-source by sharing great links to other blogs, articles and more.
11. I know graphics help readership. Do you have a good source of royalty free graphics?
Yes, here are some places you can do to get royalty free graphics for your blog - http://bit.ly/tzPch (Talk about marketing with limited resources..that link was a blog post I wrote in 2009…this one time blog post with the answer to your question was a fast way to help me help you!)
12. I'm a 1-person, owner-operator of a recently launched B2B consulting and training service. With all the options available to me (and as the one person wearing all the hats) where should I prioritize my efforts first?
Great question and congrats on starting your new business. For a new business, prioritize your energy on getting a healthy website foundation. A website is like your big business card – it needs to be professional, communicate your value and be a way for people to know, like and trust you. The better you describe your consulting and training service, the better. Don’t think website – think web solution. Sharing your thought leadership on a blog and via Twitter and Facebook may work well too. My book www.tinyurl.com/onlinemarketingbook is a great resource to help you bake your web marketing cake in a strategic order!
13. How do you reach a group that doesn't read emails?
There needs to be something compelling enough on your site, blog or Facebook page to make them want to come or through search optimization to pull them in. I work for a medical spa that has hand-sized cards with their web ways to stay in touch (Site, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) that they give out at the spa location as a way to help bring people in.
14. Should I copyright my name and logo?
If you plan to be in business for a while – most likely yes! Check out the USPTO website to see if your name has been trademarked and consult an attorney for advice before proceeding.
15. How do you get to convince the decision makers on an organization to actually Tweet and Blog?
I’d turn to data and show how twitter and blogs are such a big boost to business. Let the experts on sites like Altimiter Group and Jupiter Media and JWT (here are slides on social media tips for business http://www.slideshare.net/jwtintelligence/social-media-checklist-june-2011). But before you get into convincing, listen and understand the decision makers’ fears first so you can make sure they are addressed.
17. You mention Wordpress and Blogger is what you use for your blog? What do you like about it?
My whole website www.webmarketingtherapy.com is on Wordpress. My clients use Wordpress if they want custom design by us (Examples www.thebusinesstherapist.com and www.callagold.com both WordPress) and some sites that were built by companies other than mine that just want to add a blog go with Blogger because it is easy (see www.blog.livegourmet.com as an example) Here is a Squarespace one http://uscapital.squarespace.com/) Most all blog platforms can be customized to some degree –the three I mention are my favorite platforms.
18. Blogs have its benefits but what happens when you get negative comments?
Negative comments are feedback and can be constructive criticism. However, if the negative comment is spam of from someone like a disgruntled ex-employee, there are comment moderation settings that can be set up so you can approve or trash comments before they go live to best monitor them.
18. How often should a small company post a blog to be seen as credible?
Try at least once a week to every other week. My rule is to blog when you have something valuable or important to say. If you have a clear blog theme and strategy, content will come easily!
19. Are there other good options to PowerPoint for one's Webinar presentations?
Yes! Prezi – we just blogged about it on the Web Marketing Therapy blog http://bit.ly/ioPqHh
20. What do you do if you are not getting feedback you desire from social media for your service?
In marketing, we create, execute and monitor..then rinse repeat! It may be time to monitor why things are not working. I worked with a company who launched a Facebook page, the fans never grew. Then when monitoring the execution (not just data but the approach) the company realized their audience didn’t want to be sold, they wanted to share and collaborate. So, they re-strategized and their fan base grew very quickly. Their success was based on not giving up, but re-tooling. Note – some social media work like blogs and do not always warrant comments. For instnace, I get a lot of people who read my blog but they come to learn and leave…they aren’t always comment-happy.
21. You said get your team to blog – should they all use the same company name, or under their own name on behalf of the company?
This is an internal decision. Some companies want to monitor content first so they have one master account, not granting individuals personal blog access. For others, they say power to the people and set up accounts. It all depends on the organization’s preference.
22. Is it okay to have a different personality/voice for your blog versus your website?
If this adds more value to the reader (your target customer) I don’t see why not!
Don't forget to register for the upcoming third webinar in our four part series; Easy Website Optimization Tips. This webinar will cover ways to increase your website’s visibility and sellability. It will be held on June 15th, once again at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern. To register for this webinar click here.
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