Business Marketing with Twitter

Social Media has revolutionized the way Business connects with customers. No longer are your hands tied to a single advertisement in a Newspaper, or a radio or TV commercial that was produced a week ago. Social Media allows real-time communication to your customers.

One of the newest social media players is Twitter. While Facebook continues to grow, so does Twitter.

Simply put, Twitter is like high school - you always hung out with the cool people and other cool people hung out with you.
Twitter is all about following people you find interesting and people following you who find you interesting.
You can learn what is going on in the world and you can also educate your followers. The more interesting and engaging you are, the more people from around the globe will find you and start following you. Do not be afraid. It's cool to be cool.
For Business, Twitter is a resource for:
-Promotion
-Marketing
-Customer service
-Customer relations
-Surveys
-Research
-Drive traffic back to your Website or blog
-Employment opportunities (looking for new staff)
-Competition review
-Immediate two-way communication with customers and clients

If any of those aspects interest you, I recommend creating a Twitter account and start connecting with prospective new clients. Before creating your account, I also recommend the creation of a Social Media Code of Conduct that is reviewed by all staff members to ensure the proper content is being shared by all staffers.

So, what is a 'Tweet'? A tweet is a 140 character message that is viewed by your followers. The most effective tweets include a call to action or give the reader a reason to visit your business. In the beginning it might not appear that your 'tweets' are effective but do not give up. Try to tweet several times a day and keep your messages consistent with your business model. Try different types of messages and eventually you will find certain messages receive more attention.

There are so many business uses for Twitter to broadcast and connect with clients and reach out to new customers.

What is also great about Twitter, it can be added to your mobile device allowing you to update and send pictures to your followers from events and immediately respond to followers.

For starters, here are 5 Twitter tips for building your business.

Take a deep breath. You will get through this. Just start slowly and soon, the whole world will be at your fingertips.

Find me on Twitter.
-Darren

Speak Media Consulting offers coaching and training for all your media needs, from understanding the inner workings of traditional media to effective uses of social media.

How To Cut Through The Noise

Let me guess; one of your earliest childhood memories was learning the letters of the alphabet. Since then you have lived your life confident in the knowledge that "I" comes before "U" in the alphabet. Guess what - you are WRONG.


Before you write a letter to your Grade school teachers or to the Sesame Street gang, let me explain.

For years, marketing and advertising campaigns were designed around the values and experience of the business to demonstrate the products or services being offered. Essentially, consumers were told what was good for them, and for quite some time we believed them. Call this the "I" method of communication.

Then a number of marketing and advertising agencies began to shift the focus of attention towards the consumers to demonstrate how each product or services would impact the lives of the consumer. Call this the "U" method of communication.

Today more than ever, you need to explore how to put your consumers needs ahead of your own.

Think for a moment how many messages you sift through and prioritize each day with email, text messaging, telephone calls, newspaper columns, magazine articles, blog posts, TV news, radio commentary, billboard advertising on buildings, buses and street benches, website click throughs, social media (Facebook and Twitter, etc), meetings, letters, fliers stuffed under your windshield wiper and even bathroom stall advertising. Yes, there are so many ways to broadcast your message. Now, quickly think about how many of those messages do you remember at this moment. Which messages did you respond to and which messages did you discard?

How do you cut through the noise?

As a Media Coach and Consultant offering effective solutions for message creation, delivery and engagement, I am constantly being asked to create communication links (dialogue) between clients and business. Effective messaging, either with media releases, marketing, advertising, even email and blog posts, should focus on the impact of your consumer. Answer their questions: "What's in it for me?", and "How will this effect my heart, health or wallet?".

Start with re-arranging your business priorities by putting the needs of your clients and consumers ahead of your own. In other words, re-arrange the alphabet and put "U" ahead of "I".

-Darren

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What's In It For Me? Effective Email Marketing Tips

In my presentations as a Media Coach and Consultant with Speak Media Consulting, you often hear me use the phrase "what's in it for me?".

To have effective engagement with your customers and clients, you must answer the number one question they have each time; "what's in it for me?".

If you are using email marketing to reach your consumers, are you answering that question?

Is your email marketing still bragging about your 'stuff' and not focusing on the wants and needs of your consumer?
Or have you realized that effective marketing - just as effective communication - you must put the needs of your consumer ahead of your own?

When it comes to email marketing, the trend has always been to use strong words such as "save", "gift", "free" and "now" in the subject line.

From eMarketer.com, the most powerful words for email marketing subject lines are "you" and "your". Finally, the consumer is been recognized as the most important element of the campaign.



Read the full report from eMarketer.com.

Today's consumer is busy and your message has to cut through all the noise created by other effective newspaper, radio, television, email, text, web and Social media messaging.

You read through this message. Something must have grabbed your attention.
Thank you for stopping by. I hope you found this useful in creating your own effective connection with your clients and customers.

-Darren
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Make Each Moment Count

Whether it was the grueling 50 kilometer cross country ski event, or a short track speed skating event, each athlete that competed at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver had to make each moment count.

The Olympics are very much like communicating to your clients or customers. You hire and train staff who are capable of delivering under pressures such as deadlines, split second decisions and risk of failure.

Are your staff worthy of standing on the medal platform, or are they better keeping the bench warm?

When communicating to your clients and customers through the media, you have one chance to make a lasting impression. What you say and the manner in which you say it goes a long way in earning the trust and respect from a prospective customer.

Each time you use media, regardless if it is on-line, radio, television or newspaper, make each moment count. Your team (company) is counting on you to put in your best performance every time.

-Darren
Speak Media Consulting

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Secret Election Weapon: Social Media

President Barack Obama proved the power of social media as a secret weapon during his election campaign. Now everyone wants to follow his lead. Or, do they?

My office is located in Calgary Alberta where long serving Mayor Dave Bronconnier announced this week (February 23, 2010) he would not be running for Calgary's top job for a fourth term.


Photo courtesy CBC Calgary

At his state of the city address on Tuesday, Bronconnier said he wants to give all challengers enough time to mount a proper campaign for the October municipal election.

So let the fun and games begin. The gloves are off and the posturing will begin shortly as individuals begin to declare their candidacy for the Mayor's chair.

Who will be the winner in this race?
The candidate who shakes the most hands and does the most speeches?
The candidate who takes out a full page newspaper advertisement to display his/her resume of good deeds?
The candidate who complains about the short comings of his/her opponent?

NO

As a Media Coach and Consultant at Speak Media Consulting, the winner will be the candidate that displays the most creative and engaging dialogue with his/her candidates primarily through the use of an effective Social Media campaign.

Step One: Create a community of supporters.
Use online programs such as Constant Contact to collect the names and email addresses for everyone who visits your website.

Step Two: Create two way dialogue with your community.
Use your email data base (citizens in your region) to ask specific questions on how THEY would like to see the community grow. Send them information and ask for their response. If they are engaged with your messaging, they will invite other friends to your list and they will be more willing to offer financial support to grow your campaign.

Step Three: Get on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Blogs.
Use Social Media to distribute information to your fans, grow your fan base and most importantly - allow your followers the forum to criticize. Every speech, every event, every ribbon cutting, set up social media appointments in advance of each event, send updates just prior to event and post every picture and video of these events on social media after these events.

Step Four: Get a Website
Be sure your web developers and content providers are on top of their game and are able to update content professionally and quickly. Be sure every stitch of Social Media is linked back to your website and is always being updated.

Step Five: Use Traditional Media to promote Social Media
Make appointments to appear in as many Television, Radio and Newspaper stories and articles as you can. Each time, promote your website or Facebook. With traditional media, you will be given a short 15 to 20 second sound bite (quote). Find creative ways to promote your website or Facebook Fan page.

Step Six: Never Give Up.
From the day you launch your website or social media campaigns do not stop promoting them. They will start to grow as your profile continues to reverberate through the community. Besides, people want to see who you are and get to know that you are looking out for their needs...and not your own.

To the candidates - good luck in October.
With background content from CBC Calgary, CTV Calgary and 660News Calgary.

-Darren
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6 steps to creating engaging content for Social Media

What is the best way to engage people to your social media updates? Simple. Offer something that is real.

In my 25 years in radio both on the air and as a manager and coach, it was my job to create interesting content for my listeners. Each day prior to a 5 or 6 hour shift, I would spend approximately 2 hours to prepare my show with relevant information. And where do you suppose I gathered this information? By spending more time reading newspapers, watching TV shows, listening to the other radio stations and paying attention to what my friends and society were talking about.

The same principles should apply to you when you are preparing to post content on your social media sites.

Here are 5 easy steps to think about in the creation of engaging content for your sites.
1) "What's in it for me?". Think of content that reflects the wants and needs of the reader - not of yourself.
2) Celebrate your successes. Go ahead, brag about a success story but remember point number one just above; it is not all about you...there has to be a pay off for the reader.
3) Be current and relevant. Talk about your favorite television show or favorite newspaper columnist. It demonstrates that you are plugged-in to the real world.
4) Talk about other people. In radio we called this a 'shout-out'. Mention people you met today in person or online. Use their online name (for Twitter).
5) Be real. Your close friends know the real you. Now here is your opportunity for the online world to get to know the real you as well. Talk about things that matter in your personal life.

Here is one more.
6) Never be boring. A good friend and mentor named Valerie Geller has been coaching top media talent around the globe for years. This one point has always resonated with me and with the thousands of personalities that she has worked with. Never be boring.

Did you find these tips helpful? Once you employ even a few of these suggestions, I am sure your readers will find you more engaging and will return to your website, blog or social media site more often.

-Darren
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Is anybody out there

The answer is yes.
Ipsos Reid confirms in a Canadian study released October 27, 2009, 82% of all Canadians now have internet access at home.

From their media release:
“Even in difficult economic times, Canadians understand that having Internet access is essential in today’s society,” notes study author Mark Laver, Associate Vice President with Ipsos Reid. “Internet access is critical to finding employment, it can be used to save money, for paying bills, finding deals, and as a form of entertainment. It has become so important to the lives of Canadians, that in some areas of the country, Internet access is almost identical to home telephone access.”

The study found that access at home is almost universal for those under 55 years of age as 89% of those aged 18 to 34 and 87% of those aged 35 to 54 have Internet access at home. In comparison, only 69% of those aged 55+ have access at home.

Laver continues, “The older generation is the fastest growing segment of online users, quickly catching up to the younger generations in their adoption of the Internet. By comparison, in Q1, 2006 only one-half (57%) of those aged 55+ had Internet access.”

Everyday, more and more people are looking for you and your products. What does your on-line presence say about your product, your company, your business, your brand?

-Darren

Are you engaging or on autopilot?

Greg Johnson is a Radio Programmer in Fort McMurray, Alberta. I have had the pleasure of working with Greg and have experienced his dedication and witnessed his creative mind. While this article was originally written for the benefit of Radio broadcasters, it has many applications for just about every employee of every industry, big or small.
Here is his article.


As I flew home the other day from Edmonton, Westjet reinforced some of the fundamentals of radio that have been preached since Marconi.

The BASICS.
The flight attendant came over the intercom - blasé and monotone (think Eeyore) - and delivered the spiel. You know: how to do up your seatbelt, how to suck oxygen in case of an emergency. As an attendant she's delivered that spiel 1001 times this week alone. But wait. What if I had been flying for the first time? I would have never heard the spiel before, and the information would be very informative and compelling. Plus, there were some new jokes that I hadn't heard before (something about turning off your electronic devices: cell phones, lap tops, George Foreman Grills). But, with her less than upbeat delivery, she glossed over all her jokes and the humour fell flat.

If you sound bored - you ARE boring. When they do the safety spiel, we think "blah blah blah". Listen to how it's delivered. There is no emotion. No attempt to make it sparkle ... therefore I'm making no attempt to listen. Think there's no way to make the safety spiel interesting?

What are you doing to make the basics leap through the radio? Make them count. Traffic & Weather. Time & Temp. Station ID and your Name. You'll deliver it endless times throughout your show. Are you blasting through them or giving the Basics their due? Someone has just gotten into their vehicle and is hearing it for the first time. Make it sound like you're saying it for the first time. That Rappin' Flight Attendant clip? Might have been the first time you've seen it. Betcha he's been doing that for 3 flights / day for months. But he delivered it like the first time.

Quite honestly, no one is worth listening to if they don't sound like they're having fun.

Don't LIE.
The weather was awful. Snow, slush & wind. I expected delays. All the Departure boards projected "On Time". The Captain made no mention of delays. When it came time to de-ice the plane, the Captain came over the intercom and said, "This should only take 10 minutes". Problem is, it didn't. It took 40 minutes. BIG DIFFERENCE. And not only did he lie about the time frame, there was no update on what the hold up was until after we were making our way to the runway.

If you're going to do something on the show, then DO IT. You are making a promise to the listener. Saying "a couple of minutes" or "in a bit" is not only vague, but has different meanings to different people. "@ 7:40" or "in 10 minutes" is concrete.

The other point is immediacy. The pilot is my information source. As passengers we were visibly agitated, and the pilot made no attempt to update us on our status. In radio, we are the eyes and ears - and we have the ability to provide up-to-the-second information. Don't ignore the needs of our "passengers". "Air Canada" is only a couple dial positions away.

Sometimes We Need to Be SERIOUS.
The Pilots introduced themselves as "Neil & Matt at the front of the plane". Call me old fashioned, but I'd at least like to know that it's "Captain Neil and Co-Pilot Matt in the cockpit". "Hey everyone it's Neil & Matt" … they sound like the new design team on HGTV. It irked me that the pilot was joking around. Was he going to do some rolls and loops in the sky?

Sometimes we need to be serious, human and sincere. Amber Alert … stick to the script. River Break 2009 … flooding is not funny. Ask Manitoba. Know your role in certain situations. People will come to us for serious information and a quick joy buzzer gag could kill all credibility.

If you went to see a new doctor and he came into the examination room and said, "Hey there -- I'm Rick!" … I doubt you'd even stick around to hear the glove snap.

Don't Be THAT Guy Who Reclines His Seat.

I'm sure I could find some radio analogy here … but the truth is planes are packing us in and we ain't getting any thinner. If you recline, you're a prick. I only wish I had my 2 year old with me to kick your seat for the entire flight.

Greg Johnson
Program Director
COUNTRY 93.3 / ROCK 97.9
Fort McMurray, AB
w. 780.743.2246
f. 780.791.7250
greg.johnson@rci.rogers.com

Thank you Greg.
-Darren