LikingMarketing's Blog

Social Media & Social Revolution in Egypt

likingmarketing — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:14:13 +0000

As a small business marketing consultant, I am always telling people to have a Facebook + LinkedIn account, network with as many people as they know and update it weekly. (Never daily or, heavens forbid, multiple times daily) They usually respond with “I don’t like it” “I don’t know what I will put on it” Blah, Blah, Blah. Well, events in Egypt clearly show the power of social media, Facebook to be specific. Wael Ghonim used Facebook to galvanize Egyptians into action and it is wonderful!! A great example of how a product which has revolutionized how we communicate (& market) can be an instrument in a democratic revolution. And, believe me, Egypt is just the first of the mid-east countries whose people will demand a change! When we say Social Media is a tool for viral marketing, this is a perfect example.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/02/09/husain.ghonim/index.html?

Consistency and Patience

likingmarketing — Sat, 22 May 2010 17:11:47 +0000

We are a society that demands immediate results. But, as we know, so much that is worthwhile takes time. You can’t lose 10 lbs in a day (I wish!). And, marketing your company and service cannot be done overnight. It takes time. You must be committed to it. Your competition is committed to theirs! You can fine tune your strategy but you must be committed to implementing it. Marketing is an investment, a long term investment. You must be consistent in your message, your “look and feel”, and your delivery (at least monthly newsletters, for example). Your marketing should inspire confidence in you. After all, the goal of any effective marketing strategy is to get customers and prospects to know, like and trust you. And finally, but most importantly, it requires Patience. It takes 7 touches with a prospect for them to have the faith in you to become a customer. So, you may not get any additional business with your first newsletter. But, by the 7th monthly well-written newsletter, your prospects will realize that you are an expert in your field, inspiring their trust in you and hopefully, transforming some to customers. Good luck!

SEO

likingmarketing — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:48:08 +0000

SEO has been lauded as the worst kept secret of creating and maintaining a website found by all, preferably in the top two items of a search engine. Truth be told, there are countless methods and techniques to improve your rank. The important thing to remember is that your website is a vibrant part of your marketing strategy. You must update it frequently (at the very least monthly). Understand your target audience. Highlight your best solutions. Provide infomation for your customers/prospects. Link to your best customers and suppliers. Your website gives you the same presence as “the Big Boys”. Take advantage of that opportunity and use it to its fullest advantage! LK

Social Media & U!

likingmarketing — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:59:39 +0000

I just presented “Social Media & U” to a group of business owners in Stamford CT. The focus is how tools like Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook are all parts of a marketing strategy today. To ignore these tools is to do so at your own risk. “Publish or Perish!” Link to your customers, prospects, friends. Freely share advice and your expertise on items of interest to your clients. These applications are low cost, if not free. They are growing in popularity. The key is to touch your clients without being invasive. Create a community of interest. Update at least weekly. Good luck!

Some Marketing Strategies for Business

likingmarketing — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:13:36 +0000

        Marketing is Fun and Intuitive! It’s great to help organizations (both big and small) mine the gold that is waiting for them with a good, innovative, grass-roots marketing strategy.
       Most organizations don’t take advantage of the everyday contact with their customers and/or prospects. Oftentimes, a company’s sales people are “dialing for dollars” which is a tough, depressing, discouraging aspect of a typical salesperson’s day and the cause of low morale and high employee turnover. If the company had a good, effective marketing strategy, the customers would be calling them assuming, of course, the product is good and fills a need!
         As an organization, you need to tap existing customers for not only additional sales, but as referrals. Do you communicate with your customers and prospects on a regular (monthly) basis? Don’t barrage them. (I HATE Daily emails and always unsubscribe). Just remind them you are there and educate them about your products and services. You need to network. Meet the customers’ needs. Be proactive and creative. You don’t need to spend too much money. Many solutions are low cost. They take time to implement but are well worth the time invested. For example, I think email newsletters to your customer base are mandatory. Put one or two informative articles, a calendar of events, contact you information, link to your website and send to customers/prospects who have agreed to be on your lists. Your customers can forward it, they will read it and you strengthen your professional image.
         What about your website? Make sure it’s attractive, informative and easy to navigate. Can the customers find you? Such basics as “Is your address easy to find? Is the phone number on every page?” are frequently overlooked.
         Per Wikipedia, Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via “natural” (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results. Typically, the earlier a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines. This gives a web site web presence.
        SEO is an Internet strategy. You put yourself in your prospect’s place and if you were going to search for your company on the internet, what search words would they use. If you have a website, have a professional do SEO for you. It pays to come in the top few options in a google search.
       There are lots of other ideas that can help lead your company to sales success. They can be exhilarating to implement and you can prioritize them to fit your budget. Give me a call if you need some help with marketing ideas.

Hello world!

likingmarketing — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:05:34 +0000

Hi! Welcome to my first Blog!

As the owner of LiKing Marketing, my goal is to help small business owners attain their revenue and growth targets.

Most small business owners are busy with the day-to-day challenges of running their businesses. Marketing is not a priority for them. However, each time you or your team interacts with a customer or prospect, THAT IS MARKETING! It is imperative to have a strategic plan in place to position your company effectively. You need to present to the world that you are professional, effective and customer focused.

I help small business owners outline a plan, specifically for their business. We use tools such as the internet, networking (online and in person) and a consistent theme. Then, we implement these plans. I function as your marketing team on an outsourced basis, at a fraction of the cost of an inhouse staff.

If you would like more info, call me at 203-667-6347. My email is lking@likingmarketing.com and my website is www.likingmarketing.com. Or simply post a comment with your contact information. Take care! Loretta