Facebook 2012 Update: Summary of Mari's Smith's Webinar

If you didn't catch Facebook Expert Mari Smith's webinar yesterday on Facebook 2012, here are some of the high points to get you caught up.

Mari recommends that these "to do's" are on your daily Facebook checklist:
? Check your Business Page hidden posts (click on Wall to see them). These are typically spam but check here often so you don't miss an important message.
? Respond to comments and questions promptly (within hours not days).
? Check out Insights to see your page metrics. See which posts are being viewed the most and how many Engaged Users you have. Use this information to gauge what posts draw the most attention.

She threw out a lot of random tips such as:
? Try to "edutain" which is to provide quality content in a fun, engaging way.
? Use all of your other social media networks to grow your Facebook page.
? Short status updates have better engagement rates than longer ones.
? Increase your "shares" and it will increase your page's visibility.

Mari offered an interesting tidbit of what's coming soon on Facebook:
? One to one email capability to your fans (they're testing or rolling out this functionality in Asia now). This can really change the way businesses use Facebook to market directly to their followers.

Hope these help you to use Facebook more effectively for your business!

Can You Use Pinterest to Help your Business?

Have you heard of Pinterest, a pin board social media network that's growing and getting a lot of attention? Pinterest is an invitation only site where members "pin" or tag images of their favorite or important things. Members create various boards based on a theme or topic (food, travel, decor, etc.) and pin images to them. Members can follow each other and "like" or "repin" (share) images on their own boards.

The site has become popular among women so if females are your business' target market, Pinterest is the place to be. If you have a very visual product and can entice customers with images, Pinterest may help your marketing efforts. While the site discourages outright product promotion, businesses are using the site to drive traffic to websites, execute contests or just be a source of inspiration.

Read American Express Open Forum's recent tips article with lots of links to Pinterest pages of popular brands.

Can this site be useful to your business? Please share if your business is using Pinterest and how.

5 Reasons to Create a Facebook Landing Page

Have you created your Facebook landing page yet? Why do I need one, you ask? If you're serious about using Facebook to enhance your business, then a landing page can serve many purposes:

Introduce Your Business-

For people who aren't familiar with your business, a landing page can familiarize them with your products and services.

To Make Your Business Unique-

All Facebook pages tend to look very similar unless you take the initiative to customize your page. A landing page allows you to introduce your business to visitors the way you want to!

Reinforce your Brand-

Using a landing page, you can make your company and product brands highly visible. The profile photo just doesn't offer businesses enough to accomplish this but a landing page makes it easy.

Promote Events and Offers-

Change your Facebook Landing page to reflect your current offers or upcoming events.

Encourage the "Like" Button-

A landing page can explain why someone should like your page and what benefits they may receive: discounts, daily tips, links, photos or news. Encourage them with an explicit "like us" directive, similar to the one on my landing page (design by Ruzow Graphics).


For help with your business' Facebook page, call Jocelyn at 203.377.9980.

CAN SPAM Act- Don't Risk Paying $16,000 per Email in Fines!

If you use email for your business, then you need to be familiar with the CAN-SPAM Act. The US government created this law to give email recipients rights and to provide guidelines that all email marketers must adhere to. Spammers in violation risk having to pay up to $16,000 PER EMAIL in penalties!

Are you complying with the CAN-SPAM Act's requirements? Here's a rundown of the rules:

-Give recipients an "opt out" option that is clear and conspicious. Once recipients opt out you must honor their request within 10 business days. Most email service providers will do this automatically for you.

-Don't use misleading headers or subject lines. Your domain name and email address must tell recipients who you are. No aliases!
Also, deceptive or misleading subject lines are in violation. If you tell recipients one thing in the subject line and something different in your email, you're spamming.

-Include your location. A valid PO Box or street address must be included in your email.

Spamming isn't a good business practice and will only hurt your reputation. Please know that this law isn't just for bulk email. It applies to all commercial email- even for small businesses. Keep your email marketing in compliance with the CAN SPAM act and you'll be on the path to executing successful campaigns.

How To Manage Negative Feedback on Social Media

Many businesses are delving into social media as an integral part of their marketing. Social media offers customers, prospects and the general public the ability to provide instant feedback, commentary and reviews of your products and services. It's important to monitor what is being said about your business on social media sites and to be prepared to react to any negative comments.

The most important part of your corporate reaction is to stay positive. Try to turn the feedback into an opportunity to acknowledge the point being made, address a problem and provide a solution. Respond promptly to these comments to show the public that you're receptive and making an effort to resolve any issues. Once you publicly acknowledge the issue, feel free to take the problem offline via email or a phone call to work it out at a personal level.

In most situations, simply showing your appreciation for the feedback and making an attempt to resolve any problems goes a long way.

What issue have you addressed on social media and how did you handle them?

Marketing Copy that Informs, Persuades and Sells!

Since my last few projects have included updating or creating marketing-friendly copy for clients, I thought that would be a good topic to blog about!

Whether you're writing web copy, a seminar promotion or a brochure, try to keep the following pointers in mind to maximize the effectiveness of your messages:

-Address your readers' problem, issue or "pain". If they can identify with the experience you're describing, you'll get their attention right away.

-Include the benefits the reader will realize from your product or services instead of just listing features.

-Avoid using industry lingo that might be foreign to your audience.

-Tell a story: try using a true client experience to illustrate your point.

-Provide evidence to back up what you're promoting: research, testimonials, case studies, etc. These solid facts will help to sway your reader.

Try to be informative, persuasive and always put yourself in your reader's shoes when writing and reviewing your copy.

Looking for Local Publicity? Check out Patch.com

By now many of you may be getting your local news at Patch.com. Owned by AOL, Patch covers news in almost half the states in the US including Connecticut.

Find out if there's a Patch in your town or in the towns where you do business. They are looking for community news, local events, calendar items and many are soliciting columns written by local residents. They also welcome photos and videos.
Read the news at your Patch site regularly and email your Patch editor when you have information about something going on in your community. Got some exciting business news like the opening of a new store, an upcoming seminar or the launch of a new product? Let your Patch know! Their popularity is growing so much, they're giving the community weeklies and some daily papers a run for their money!

Localize Your Event Promotions

Are you using local online sources to drive attendance to your seminars, lectures, trade shows or other events? Try these:

-CraigsList.com
-AmericanTowns.com
-Meetup.com
-Upcoming.org
-Your local chamber's stie
-Your local business journal's site

What other sites do you use?

Landing Pages Can Solidify your Online Marketing

Are you using a landing page on your Web site to capture email addresses or convert prospects to customers?

While your home page should be a key area of focus for your web site, landing pages can be effective in getting measurable results from your online marketing campaigns.

Landing pages are specifically created for visitors who are referred via online marketing. You'll often see one when you click on an online ad. A landing page is intended to drive a particular marketing outcome ? to generate a lead or a sale. For instance, companies like Dell Tweet about their promotions that are exclusive to Twitter followers only. Followers are then directed to a landing page where they can take advantage of a special offer.

Typically, landing pages encourage data or email capture where a site visitor fills in an online form in order to receive a coupon, a free product or valuable information (free report, etc.). Other landing pages allow visitors to take advantage of a special offer by making a purchase.

Good landing pages are persuasive and are easy to read/use/fill out. Here are a few examples of landing pages:



Test your landing page to see what headlines, content, offers are working best. As web author Jim Sterne says: Try It! Measure It! Tweak It!

Launch Email Marketing for your Business

Are you ready to begin using email as part of your marketing initiatives? Here's the first of give steps to get started.

Step 1: What's the Goal?

You need objectives and a plan in order to implement a successful email marketing campaign. The first step of your plan is to determine what you want your emails to accomplish! Here are some ideas:

· Market

Prompt purchases

Drive traffic to your Web site or store

Register or buy tickets to an event

· Notify

Announce new products/services

Share your knowledge and know-how

Set apart your business fro

Offer customer testimonials

· Interact

Connect with prospects and clients

Offer rewards and incentives

Encourage referrals



Ready to read and implement Steps 2 through 5? Email me at jocelynm@marketing-er.com

Marketing & Event Resources Named Constant Contact All Star

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE




Marketing & Event Resources Named One of Constant Contact?s
2010 All Stars

Marketing & Event Reosurces' use of Constant Contact products and services helped increase its overall marketing performance and deepen its engagement with customers

(Stratford, CT)? March 25, 2010 ?Marketing & Event Resources LLC, a provider of marketing, public relations, social media and event promotion services has received the 2010 All Star Award from Constant Contact®, Inc., the trusted marketing advisor to more than 400,000 small organizations worldwide. Marketing & Event Resources is one of Constant Contact?s 2010 top performers and most prolific user of its tools, whether within Constant Contact?s email marketing, event marketing, social media marketing, or survey products ? or a combination of all four.

"We?re happy to be recognized by Constant Contact for our use of their email marketing tools. Constant Contact has allowed us to help clients build their email lists and easily implement email marketing campaigns to promote their businesses," says Jocelyn Murray, owner.

Constant Contact looked at criteria including the following when selecting this year?s All Stars:

? Frequency of campaigns, events and surveys
? Open, bounce and click through rates
? Usage of social features
? Mailing list sign up tools
? Use of reporting tools

?We work hard to listen to our customers, and we use that feedback to create products and services designed to help them better engage with their customers and prospects,? said Gail Goodman, chairman, president and CEO of Constant Contact. ?The Constant Contact All Star Awards are our way of recognizing our customers that have successfully used Constant Contact to market their companies. We have some of the most committed, passionate customers out there and we?re proud we can be a part of their continued success.?


About Constant Contact, Inc.
Constant Contact is revolutionizing the success formula for small organizations through affordable, easy-to-use Engagement Marketing? tools that help create and grow customer relationships. More than 400,000 small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and member associations worldwide rely on Constant Contact as their engagement hub for starting and driving ongoing customer dialogs through email marketing, social media marketing, event marketing, and online surveys. All Constant Contact products come with unrivaled know how, education and free coaching with a personal touch, including award-winning customer support.

Constant Contact and the Constant Contact Logo are registered trademarks of Constant Contact, Inc. All Constant Contact product names and other brand names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Constant Contact, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

Media Contact:
Jocelyn Murray
Marketing & Event Resources LLC
203.377.9980
jocelynm@marketing-er.com


###

Social Media Do's and Don'ts!

Social Media Do's
1. Focus on the content - share knowledge
? It?s not about you
? It?s about what you know
2. Trade useful information for attention
? Will your followers look forward to your next communication?
? Will they be inspired to share/tweet/comment on this information?
3. Be the expert

Social Media Don'ts
What NOT to include in your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. updates:
? Don?t pitch
? Don?t overtly self-promote
? Don?t offer incentives to get reviews or sharing
? Don?t stray from your areas of business
? Don?t post personal information, politics, sports, religion etc.


Source: Constant Contact

Ways to Increase Seminar Attendance

1.Communicate the value- Be clear about what attendees will learn, how the information will help them and what the take away will be.

2.What's the hook? Make them an offer they can't resist. Whether it's a free consultation, a white paper or breakfast, let prospects know what's in it for them if they attend.

3.Registration fee- Consider charging a fee for your seminar or workshop. You'll have less no-shows if people know they'll lose money by not attending.

4.Use Social Media- In addition to direct mail and email, use all of your social media tools to promote your seminar/workshop to drive attendance.

5.Email and phone reminders- Call and email your registrants the weeks and days leading up to the event. Continue to restate the benefits of attending.

What other things to you do to fill seats? Let us know!

Grow your Email List

Building a quality list of opt-in prospect email addresses is more like a marathon than a sprint. It takes time to to assemble addresses of prospects who are truly interested in learning from your professional expertise, or about your products and services.There's no quick fix to building a list, but here are five ways to get started:

1)Ask your email and newsletter subscribers to forward your info to any of their friends or associates who might be interested in receiving it too.

2)Reciprocate. Ask partners and complementary newsletters to promote your newsletter to their lists while you'll do the same.

3)Ask for it. At the end of your sales process or when you're collecting prospect information at a trade show, always ask if s/he would like to receive your valuable monthly newsletter, discount coupons, or emails.

4)Post you opt-in form in a prominent place on your homepage or on any consecutive pages!

5)Incent them! Give your prospects something in exchange for their email address: a discount coupon, entry in a contest, a free e-book, etc.

What other methods are you implementing to build your list?

2010 in Review

What do you think was the biggest marketing/PR disaster of 2010?

Small Business Holiday Marketing Checklist

You can't help but notice all the promotional marketing that big businesses put forth during the holiday season. Small business should take advantage of the season and but their best marketing foot forward too:

- JR Griggs, author of 10 Ways to Put Yourself Out of Business suggests that you "Send out Christmas cards instead of emails. People will hang a Christmas card but they will not print and hang an email." Sending holiday cards is a thoughtful way to thank your clients for their business.

- Create a fun, unique personalized item that your prospects and clients will remember. Try personalizing the stamp on your holiday cards with your logo! Or send bags of M&M's or Hershey Bars customized with your own message.

-For retail stores, offer free cider, coffee or treats to encourage your customers to linger longer.

-Offer holiday specials. Any product or service can be repackaged with a holiday offer or theme.

What holiday marketing tactics work best for your business?

Turn Your Event into a Money-Making Promotion for your Business

Marketing & Event Resources recently provided marketing and publicity services for the grand opening of Shelter Interiors, a new interior design studio in Milford, CT on the Green. Many of the marketing activities that we implemented can be applied to any event and help turn it into a smart money-making promotion for your business.

Be Community-Minded
Is there a way that your event can be tied in with a greater cause? Shelter Interiors hoped that their grand opening could help the local community in some way. We decided to conduct a blanket drive in conjunction with the event (which would be given to a Milford non-profit) and announced it in all the newspaper community calendars.

Traffic Generating Incentives
Coupons are always a smart marketing tool. Promote a product or service that prospects will respond to and make it time sensitive to encourage a speedy response! Shelter Interiors offered a 10% discount on all purchases for the entire month as part of their Grand Opening promotion.

Marketing
Beginning a month prior to the event, send timely email, fliers and personal invitations and use social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) to spread the word. Create a video for YouTube that acts as a teaser ad for the event. Don't forget to include your special offer or incentive.

Media
For big events, think about media partnerships with local radio stations, TV stations, newspapers and cable companies. In exchange for exclusive rights to promote your event on site, you can try to obtain on air promotions or advertising at no cost to you.

Advertising and Public Relations
If your budget allows, advertise in your local daily and weekly newspaper and on the radio for one to two weeks leading up to your event. Write a great press announcement and get it out all the local trade and community outlets.

Partnerships
Team up with related businesses or neighboring businesses so that you all can contribute to and benefit from buzz of your event. Brainstorm who you can create reciprocal marketing partnerships with for the event and ongoing!

Social Media's No Longer Optional

Check out these stunning facts about social media and reconsider what your business is doing to incorporate them into your marketing plan:

51%-79% consumers are more likely to buy or recommend a brand if like/follow on FB/Twitter.

Social media adoption among U.S. small businesses doubled in the past year from 12% to 24%

Facebook has over 550 million users

Twitter has over 160 million users

Promote Your Events through Social Media Marketing

Are you using your social media connections to effectively promote your upcoming seminar, open house, networking event or trade show exhibit? Social media tools should be part of your plan to spread the word to your customers, prospects, friends and others about the event.

Start by creating an event web page where you can house all the relevant info. This page should provide all the detail that people want to learn before registering.

Check out Constant Contact's Event Marketing tool to help you set up your event's details, manage and promote it through professional looking e-invites, updates and reminders.

Start early by posting save the date or registration announcements on all of your social media networks and email the same notice to your clients, prospects and constituents.

Continue to promote your event with a stream of updates on Facebook and Twitter. Try to build interest by promoting what attendees can expect to learn/receive at your event. Create your event on LinkedIn and invite people you're connected with. Don't forget to join any business networking groups in your event's city so you can post the event to their discussion boards.

For effective Twitter marketing, create an event hashtag on Twitter and encourage attendees to use it when they mention your event in their Twitter posts.

Post-event promotion is important too. Use social media to share photos, videos, information, etc. to remind or inform everyone how successful the event was.

Social Media vs. Email Marketing?

There's lots of discussion these days about whether or not social media marketing trumps email marketing! Will social media become a stronger communications tool or will email keep it's place in your marketing arsenal? My advice is to do both! You never know which one your prospects will be using most. And the synergy of using both tools can increase your odds of engaging with prospects and customers, gaining awareness and increasing business!

Facebook Flair

Want to have some fun with your status updates on FaceBook? ???? ;) Check out this Facebook Symbols site: http://facebook-symbols.com/characters/

Your Social Media Success Story

If you've been actively using social networking as part of your business' marketing formula, let us know what successes you have had using it. You might be able to credit your social media efforts with your improved customer relations, new prospects or maybe even a jump in business.

Please share!

PR Pitch Ideas

Here are some great reasons to call your local reporter:

Your New Book is Being Published
The High Rate of Growth of your Business
You Can Offer Lessons or Useful Information
Your Products or Services Tie into a Current Trend
A Unique Business Opportunity
Grand Opening of a Store or Business

Need help coming up with pitch ideas for your business? Call or email Jocelyn today!

Facebook Privacy Info- Must Read

If you're a Facebook user, you've probably heard about the new privacy settings that they announced this week. If you haven't thought about protecting your privacy, now's the time. Go to http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/

Building a Quality Email Readership

We all know how important it is to build your email list so you can e-market your products or services. But what's really important is not the list's quantity but its quality. You want your email readership to be a targeted, interested party of readers.
Here are some ways to build a strong email list:
1) Refine your Targeting
Interest in your emails depends on how targeted your audience is. To be sure they're interested in your content, make it clear of the type of information you're distributing upon sign up. Collect email addresses of people who are interested in learning from the tips and advice you provide.
2) Evaluate your Open Rate
It's crucial to review your email open statistics to find out who is and isn't reading your material. Each quarter, go through your list and identify those who haven't been opening your emails. Send them a brief email asking whether or not they'd like to remain on your list.
3) Segment your List
Separate you list in to special groups so you can send targeted communications to each of them. Find out what your readers are interested in by tracking which links they're clicking on or try sending them a survey.
Effective email marketing takes effort but it will pay off! Don't have the time to do it right yourself? Call or email Jocelyn and ask how I can put together an email marketing plan for you.