From the category archives:

Social Media

Building Business the New Media Way

by Charles Grimm on June 17, 2010

What is your time spent on building new business? What are your new business social media marketing percentages?

Clearly these days there are many ways to take action for building business; some are more proactive and some passive.

With the immense amount of new information available to us today, it seems that the decision-sales cycle has gotten longer. Why,.. perhaps for the need to get all the information before moving ahead with a decision.

The days of the sales guy just making the phone call is becoming much more expensive for businesses. It takes time to make sales calls. While it may be the most direct way to build business… is it the most effective way today to build relationships and business?

Perhaps it is now most effective to meet in person, and solidify relationship foundations, once initial connections have been made through one of the many new search marketing vehicles.

Building Business the New Media way

Building Business the New Media way

I hear a lot of people in business, small and enterprise level, discount twitter for its ability to drive sales. Well maybe it’s because the scope of how twitter is used needs to be thought of in a broader sense.

Allocating time and a strategy with other search marketing choices may be needed to help your audience/target market, reach the excellent service, products or resources you offer!

In other words, from the view point of open source model, what are you working on and how can I help you move forward? Instead of just looking at the immediate solution people are looking for great value first or as Seth Godin might say the Free Prize inside!

Big business with larger overhead may want results immediately. But instead of management expecting that new marketing work like the “old sales call system” they might be better off rallying more diligently around new marketing to discover a short term and long term game plan that will yield foundations for new business; Foundations that use new media and marketing tools that will be platforms for in person meetings and discussions.

As an example, an accountant friend of mine is in the first spot on the first page of Google for a competitive and relevant key word search term. He does not participate in social media or any of the new search marketing ways. Results = “0” leads, “ 0” calls. What can this tell us?

Clearly, just ranking in Google is not doing it for his business. Most of his business is generated from word of mouth, old school. My question is, by being more involved in search marketing and social media, could he perhaps build more relationships and more word of mouth and possibly more business.

What do you think? Let me know your experience with social media marketing and if it has helped you build more business.

{ 0 comments }

How to: Start, Plan and Measure Social Media

by Charles Grimm on February 7, 2010

Since there is a lot of talk about social media these days I thought it would be appropriate to list some of the top articles on the subject. Do’s and don’ts, analytics and key factors are all important, yet the bottom line question is whether there is any ROI – Return on Investment. My readings indicate that social media development is very individual and certainly different between industries.

For many companies currently, the scope of social media development is best kept to the main stream basic’s. i.e Facebook Linkedin and Twitter. If you are an early adopter then you may want to expand this list,” in your spare time”. However in many industries the ROI is either too long, or has not yet been determined. In a significant way that is. While there are many people working diligently at finding appropriate ROI metrics it is still too early to tell whether it is worth spending the time to build and maintain a social media momentum.

For independent contractors and branders and the self employed there seems to be some real ROI. Meaning – conversions – new business. For writers, blogger’s and such my research shows some good stuff. For the guy or gal that owns the tile business, the distribution company or the brick and mortar retail shop I haven’t seen the returns. Yet if ROI is measured in good will and PR and online presence then I would say then sure I see some evidence of ROI.

Here is a list of some articles that may help tighten up your approach to social media as part of building the over all search engine marketing mix, for your business.

About Getting Started
40 Key Elements to Getting Started in Social Media by Louis Gray

About Planning
How to Create Measurable Objectives by Altitude Branding

About Strategy
Two Approaches: Shotgun vs. Laser by Web Strategist

About Small Biz
Why Small is the New Big in Social Media Marketing by Jonathan Fields

About Hiring
Hiring for Social Media: What I’d Look For by Altitude Branding

About Measurement
Social Media: Who Can Show Us the Real Value? by Econsultancy

About Time
Social Media Tips for Optimizing Time Spent by Marketers by Online Marketing Blog

About Expectations
The Hardest Things to Teach Your Clients About Social Media Marketing by 10e20

If you can spare a few moments let me know what industry or market you are in and whether you are finding it a worth while investment of your “business time”.

{ 0 comments }

Video – Social Media for Small Business

by Charles Grimm on July 27, 2009

I went to Gallery opening a week ago. This invitation was for friends, family, fans and all those who were working with Mauruarend Art. Since MediaWright Inc. was hired to be the Internet Marketing company for Mauruarend, we were invited. My wife and I had a lot of fun! There were about 150 people invited and everyone was given a limited edition signed print by the artist – Maurice Middendorf.

Now even though I like to occasionally attend these events, I thought, this event would be a better opportunity to shoot some informal video and take some pictures. Well, even though we are the Internet Marketing company, professional video is something we would normally consign to a video firm. While I may have missed out on a few appetizers and a couple of beers, I was having fun capturing the moment and using this opportunity.

Even thought there was press coverage I thought why not promote this event a bit further.

My point this is something all small business owners can do. This is a perfect example of IN House SEM (Search Engine Marketing) work that can be given to anyone IN your business that can take a picture with a digital camera or hold a video camera steady and slowly pan a room.

Now there is one caveat, I did spend a bit of time afterword editing the video. The great news is there is free video editing software available online.

Video and photos can be used several different way to promote your business through a variety of social media. Great news is, there is no duplicate content rules for video so you can use this information in several different social media sites from You Tube to Facebook and so on.

So bring a video or digital camera to your next event, trade show or meeting and use this information as a vehicle to give searchers, clients, prospect or buyers more insight into your business.

{ 0 comments }

Social Networks – Are they worth the time?

by Charles Grimm on March 30, 2009

I was reading an article the other day in a popular business magazine that suggested that social networks have still to prove themselves as a viable-profitable business model. Hummmm. Most of these more popular known social networks they said are not yet making any money, but they are busy attracting lots of visitors that they hope to pitch advertising messages from one of their media clients who they are trying to convince (their clients that is) that this will result in more site visits, thus more interest in their products or services and finally more sales. Wow! that even sounds complicated to me and I have been in the internet media business for 10 years.

You probably expected me to say that Social Networks are the best thing since sliced bread! Obviously, since we have a social network and are actively building our membership! On the contrary… social networks in my opinion are not for everyone and only have worth for individual or businesses with specific objectives. Meaning, depending on your business you should research which social network would benefit you and why. Unless you are an investment professional (I ‘m a former Morgan Stanley broker) or an insurance agent, everybody is not your client.

Recent data suggests, and it makes sense to me, that the average person can, and will only maintain activity in one social network. Why…because it takes time and most people are really just doing this for fun i.e. (that’s why Facebook and My Space have the highest memberships). While there are ways to leverage your relationships in sites like LinkedIn and Plaxo most people don’t know how to do this or have the time to spend to do this. Why, again, because it comes down to the relative payoff.

In my experience you need to work these systems diligently with an objective and tactics and a strategy plan in order to benefit with results, be it a new client or new job. Being an old school sales person having learned the direct method of sales…this new media method of social networking for sales can be quite frustrating even for someone that understands the system!

Now the positive message of social networks: There are many social networks developing every day. Just because you’re in business, it does not mean Linkedin is your best social network vehicle. In fact Linkedin is much more geared to salary professionals. Checkout all the smaller, new social networks (there are many, like www.questsocial.com)that are geared more toward you and your typical customer (Google, social networks).

Smaller is better. You have a much greater chance for connecting with the people in your network and in developing more quality relationships! And maybe, who knows, some new business!

{ 0 comments }

Top Social Networks to build your business.

by Charles Grimm on February 2, 2009

It takes but an hour or so to get yourself setup in the Top Social Networks. You can even set up an online group in some of these. See FaceBook and Linkedin. The little time it takes to set up your profiles in these sites can yield ongoing contacts and connections! Especially with those people you may have lost touch with. In some of these I have not been to for a while but continue to get contacted. If you have a website it is a great way to develop your link connections which of course helps build search engine ranking. And of course will attribute to you accomplishing many objectives, whether that is just building a network, brand awareness, or growing your business. So check out some of these, get involved….heck it’s fun; especially reconnecting with an old friend or colleague that reaches out one day to find you and see what you are up to.

Top 10 include: Linkedin, FaceBook, MySpace, Digg, Friendster, Plaxo,Stumble Upon Ryze,Utube, and Meetup. Of course there are many more, but these will get you started!

{ 0 comments }