I dont want you to sign a contract!

Dont Sign That Contract!

I am a small business owner. I provide marketing for other small businesses. I create a social media presence. I design websites. I get my clients online in a positive, professional manner. What I do is not difficult but it is a service which takes time and planning. If you are like most male small business owners (my target clients), you hate the internet and are too busy working to create, never mind maintain, a social media presence. That is my niche. Initially, I thought an annual contract would be a good thing. It would guarantee me a regular monthly income, at least for a year. But if my client becomes disgruntled or decides he doesnt have the budget, I dont want to tie him to a contract. I only want happy clients. If someone is paying me begrudgingly the whole way because he thinks he can do it himself, or his college aged kid can do it…why would I want to tie him to a contract? Go. Do it yourself. Let me find clients who see my value add and what I bring to the table. I dont want unhappy, crabby clients. They could ruin your day and your reputation.

Create an Agenda and Solve Your Content Anxiety

Sample cartoon for a staffing firm to use on “Funny Friday”.

What should I post today? What can I say that is different or helpful today? How can I find the time to write anything? Every writer has asked these questions as a deadline for an update rolls by them. Developing relevant content on a regular basis challenges everyone responsible for social media. A pre-planned agenda for your postings guides and inspires you. Use an agenda to post across all of your social media outlets such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and your blog.

Here are some ideas for a staffing company we recently helped. No matter what your industry is, you can use the same concept. Brainstorm with your team for creative, relevant ideas for marketing your services tailored to your company and industry. Just remember, the key ratio in social media is 80% education and only 20% sales, so soft pedal the sale pitch for your business or services.

Moving Mondays – focus on people looking for jobs. Post positions you would like filled.

Talent Tuesday – target corporations hiring. Highlight great candidates you could place.

Wise Wednesday – share tips for candidates such as resume, interview and career tips. What to look for in a job. Warning signs of a potential job

Thorough Thursday – provide hiring tips for corporations. Document the cost of a bad hire. What to look for in a potential candidate. How to match talent and the job. How to woo the perfect employee.

Funny Friday –Share some of your war stories, favorite relevant cartoons and videos

Staffing Saturday – Promote your firm. Highlight your successes, jobs you filled, people you placed and non personal Info about your team

Sunday News –Articles from the Sunday paper about jobs, economy, anything topical.

You will find it will be easier to come up with good relevant content which can be created then scheduled ahead. And, remember, this is just a guide. If something relevant and hot comes up, no one will know but you, that you changed your plan.

Social Media Marketing Should Really Be Local

LiKing Marketing creates social media marketing (facebook, twitter, LinkedIn) for small businesses in the NYC/Greenwich CT area. And, while we could technically create marketing for someone across the country (or around the world), I find it best to visit the client to develop interesting, coherent content. I need to visit their offices to uncover their value add and recent accomplishments. Small business owners are too busy to create the updates and frequently do not see what really sets them apart.

Social media marketing is not a misnomer. It HAS to be SOCIAL to be engaging and get a dialogue going. A key ratio is 80% education and only 20% selling.

Only by visiting a client and asking key questions, can I, the marketer, uncover relevant content that is good enough to share online. Social media marketing is a process and investment. It takes time, consistency and relevant content to develop a following. Let someone local, like LiKing Marketing, help.

Creativity is key to business success!

Creativity helps you find the RIGHT customer solution or, in fact, any solution. As a small business marketing consultant, I develop content for small businesses across industries. My biggest business challenge, after time constraints & scheduling, is the actual creativity required to be clever ALL THE TIME! It can be exhausting! ; ) 

I find being open to new ideas, rested, well fed and feeling well, all key to this creativity. Listening to music helps (rap is the exception for me, I am sure it works for others) as does a long walk in the local woods. Stepping away from the computer is VERY important and talking to people, sharing ideas is a fabulous inspiration. I can be mid-sentence and lightening strikes…if I dont speak immediately, it can flitter away into the ether of my thoughts, never to return again….aaargh! If you are working, disruptions must be minimized so that your train of thoughts is not running you over. One thing I know, creativity cannot be confined to work hours. Nor can it be forced to appear on demand…If you dont have it, you dont have it…Stress will kill creativity faster than a structured classroom.  

But, nothing beats the electricity of a creative moment (well maybe a few things, but you are probably being creative there, too!). Otherwise known as the “Aha!” moment, it is the moment and feeling of complete satisfaction in your work.  

11 BLOG TIPS

Blogs are one of the biggest factors of SEO and allow you to expand your network, establish credibility & authority. A good blog, while it looks easy, takes planning. I have noticed, though, that some blogs have more than 1000 words and I am sure are not read. People have a tendency, when reading online, to scan information.Therefore, when writing your blog, make it easy to scan.

1. Keep it short, under 300 words (anything more is an article) and use a bullet format to maximize “scanability”. And, where ever possible, use a describing/relevant graphic. Something people can look at if they are scanning and do not have time to read.
2. Posting on a regular basis is key to develop a following. You have to be committed to get committed followers. Determine your agenda and posting schedule and pre-write your blog entries so they are ready to go when scheduled.
3. Put social media links on your blog and share it on all venues such as your business facebook page, twitter, website, linkedIn.

It just takes some organization, insight and patience to get a successful blog going. Good luck!

3 Very Basic SEO tips for your website.

Some SEO Tips

If you have a website but are way down in the Google rankings (SEO) & your website can’t be found, take a critical look at it. You are there to be found and build trust with your audience.

Remember, Google and other search engines are simply computers.

Your site is better when:

1. It is easily read. Keep fonts simple. Computers have a hard time reading script, italics, fancy ones. Use Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, Calibri

2. Put your address on the site. As a small business, you need to instill confidence in the buyer. They want to know where you are and are not going to take their money and run.

3. Keep you content simple and direct. Tell us what you do and what you’re selling. Build trust.

Go to
http://www.likingmarketing.com/Contact.html
and complete the online form to schedule an $49 personal online marketing evaluation.

Energy for a New Year

Positive energy is the only way to lead, whether its a business, a boy scout troop or your kids. It is also the only way to live your life…Being positive, supportive, resting when needed. It spurs creativity, happiness, love and success. It is the only way to live.

Leadership Freak

Lousy leaders drain people; successful leaders energize. Do eyes light up when you’re around? Those who make the biggest difference, energize others.

The law of energy is put more in than you take out.

Any person or system that takes out more than it puts in is dying. Reserves last for awhile, but death is imminent.

Successful leaders replenish energy in others. Energy looks like hope, optimism, and confidence.

Recharging people:

Leaders who over-emphasize deliverables and projects suck life out of people.

Leaders who energize, focus on projects and people. Foolish  leaders forget people come first. People complete projects.

Leaders who prioritize people are energizers.

Successful leaders monitor energy. What’s the mood of your team?

Surprising sources of energy:

1. Doing things you love. Rest is helpful, but doing what you love energizes. Help your team do things they love. Just ask, what do you love doing?
2. Challenges energize when they’re just…

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Using the downtime of the holiday season to revamp your marketing

It has been almost 2 months since my last blog.  That is a sin for a marketing professional.

But, I am taking charge during what is supposed to be a slow time of year to assess and revamp my marketing.

1. I am working on an overhaul of my website for a new look (I change my website more than I buy shoes) and changing the look of all my marketing collateral such as business cards, logos on social media to coordinate with the new website.
2. Creating a schedule for all my social media outlets such as topics, posts, etc.
3. Researching for inspiration, tips, hints just to kind of spark my creativity and keep up with the everchanging online marketing world.

The problem is, I am busy with business and project demands.  I haven’t found the 2013 holiday season to be slow at all….But, that is the good news!! Happy New Year!  ; )

Some Tips in Using Twitter

Twitter has 215M active users.  50% of those active users follow companies. 67% of US users are likely to buy from brands they follow.  This is a FREE tool where you can reach 215M users. It is really amazing, isnt it?  

Now, Twitter is unique with its own language (see the attached cartoon). Your messages have to be under 140 characters and to overcome that challenge a unique language, designed specifically by Twitter users, has evolved.  Hashtags help organize tweets, there are specific shortcuts u equals you. ur equals your. u get it. 

If you are a small business, you should be on twitter. Your competitors are probably there now. Twitter helps you connect with business partners, clients and new prospects.  You are probably wondering how to approach this wild beast with its own language and signs.  But, dont be afraid. Let me share a few secrets with you.  

1. Get a twitter account and create a handle (name), preferably something like your business name.

2. Observe for a few weeks.  Follow competitors, suppliers, other business partners. It is safe to retweet tweets you like.  You will see the retweet icon under the tweets in your feed. (I know, it sounds ridiculous.)

3. Once you want to get started, tweet not just about yourself, your products & services, but about your team, your clients, things you love.  Retweet other peoples good content. Share ideas. This IS social media, you know. ; ) 

4. Twitter is a bit like Google in the sense that people dont scroll down the whole page of tweets, at least I dont.  In Google, if you are not on the first or second page, you wont be found.  Most reasonable people have lives and are not constantly scanning their twitter feed.  But, this is a good thing.  It allows you to reuse your own tweets at reasonable intervals.

5. If you happen to be a Pinterest person, when pinning a pin you can tweet it out from the same screen. (Sounds crazy, right? ) This helps us with content all the time. 

6. Just remember, as tempting as it is, many businesses find it better to stay away from politics and religion.  And dont insult anyone in an attempt at humor. 

7. Dont spam…

8. Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/likingmarketing. We tweet social media tips all the time.

9. And stay away from buying followers. You want to build a following of reliable people and it takes time and an investment of tweets.  

Good Luck…if you need help, let us know. www.likingmarketing.com

Challenges of the Small Business Owner – Focus!

“Do what you love and never work a day in your life!” they say.  As a marketing consultant and small business owner, I love marketing.  Nothing makes me happier than a planning session, where I can sit with clients and hammer out a marketing strategy with them, emphasizing their value-add, defining their services then working the plan and seeing the results of new prospects & clients for my customers.  I love it!

But, it takes more than a love of marketing for me to be successful.  A few hours of each day must be dedicated to things I hate…paperwork, billing, reconciling accounts, tax preparation. So, yes, its important to do what you love, but as a small business owner, you have to do some things you hate!

One issue is focus…something 95 percent of people say they struggle with.  Focus on your to dos….whether you love them or not.  Clear your desk, put on music, have water and snacks at your desk so you are not tempted to leave your work area  and turn off everything you are not working on and get down to business.

I am telling you!  I should do it better myself! ; )