My client, Haven From Hunger, recently won a $20K grant from our Social Media Marketing efforts by asking people to vote on facebook and twitter for the Haven  to win the Walmart Fighting Hunger grant. Had they not launched a Social Media Marketing Campaign several months ago, they would not have had the contacts online to get the number of votes they needed to win this large and much needed grant money.

Making more money is why most of us started a business, but have you considered other parts of Social Media Marketing that will help your business close more sales, but often are not utilized enough when businesses go to sites like Facebook and Twitter. Are you discovering what people think about your business or products? Do you know how people are talking about your service or the customer experience? One of my local clients, Douglass Appliance Center, has had a very successful family business for over 40 years. Their tagline line, “The extra “S” stands for SERVICE”, is on their printed advertisements and their television commercial, but the new strategy we have launched for their Facebook page in which we engage more with their clients has offered measured results of how they are seen as a leader in offering exceptional service and the best products.

Feedback on how to improve your customer service or products is another benefit to launching a successful Social Media Marketing Campaign. While some companies will hire a Marketing Consultant to do a formal marketing test and analysis on why products are not selling, a Social Media Marketer could simply ask for feedback online from various sites. What would have taken months to gather in research can now be found in real time with a skilled Social Media Marketing expert.

Another key purpose to consider with Social Media Marketing is the ability to listen to what people are saying online about your type of business or product.  Hearing the terms they use and how they describe your services or products can offer you a list of keywords for your website and other social sites.   Key terms for your business are essential to know for Google Campaigns, building website and blogging and will help to make your tweeting and posting to social sites far more effective.  Sometimes we are just too close to our business to know what words people use and opportunities can be missed if we are not aware of how others describe us.

Finally, there is another result of Social Media Marketing that a company should be considering…are you gaining success from key businesses or people with influence in your industry or geographic area?  A new business can speed up their brand identity and success and get known very quickly if they utilize Social Media Marketing well and connect with the influencers online. A few weeks ago my daughter, Nicole Palmer, launched a page on Facebook called Pet Grooming by Nicole for her grooming services at Four Leggers Doggie Daycare in Beverly.  She was able to leverage my contacts and grew the page to over 100 LIKES within a few days, but also doubled the grooming bookings she had for the month by getting her message out and added photos of the dogs she has groomed to exemplify her skills on Facebook for her followers to see.

We all want more sales, but a well crafted Social Media Marketing Campaign will yield a wealth of information that can guide your business beyond just the sale! If your business needs help with Social Media Marketing please contact Purple Diamond!

Purple Diamond manages several local businesses  and their Social Media Campaigns on Facebook and Twitter so I learned of the Boston Marathon bombings online and quickly turned on the television to see what was happening only miles away.  Horror and pain and worry and many many prayers.  I had clients and friends running and many more watching the race and even a cousin working close to the finish line.  The post I was about to submit to one of my client’s page quickly got deleted before I pushed the send button.  Everything had changed and as I monitored the news feed from a couple sites.  I watched closely for any news that the people I knew who were running or watching the race were ok and I posted updates from news media to my own Facebook page so my friends and family might possibly see it and get out of the city as fast as possible.

I saw the best and the worst last week on Social Media sites for many days. Purple Diamond chose to keep all pages quiet and only about prayers and concern for Boston with clients’ approval and trust that I knew what was best, but there were still companies who posted like nothing happened and I wondered if they were using an auto feed or just plain clueless as to what is appropriate.  Some even used this horrific tragedy to create special promotions…that shocked me the most.  But, I did see some really wonderful caring posts and actions from companies in our area which made me glad that I was not alone in how I felt about Social Media during a difficult week.  There is a time and place for everything, but using a tragic event to try and sell more products is something this Marketing person will never do.

[Please join Boston today by observing a moment of silence at 2:50 pm to honor the victims and their families.]

My greatest inspiration…My Dad!

Today is Purple Diamond‘s 5th year anniversary and the morning was spent first on Facebook saying Happy Birthday to various friends and commenting on posts, then attending a business networking group at 7:00am followed by a Board of Directors meeting for the North Shore Business Forum and then meeting with a new client who has been in business for 18 years, but wants some help with coaching for his business and creating a marketing plan.  Busy busy busy, but as I spoke with this new client about WHY he got in to the business he is in, I realized I needed to share my own story today on why I started my business.

Why Purple Diamond? Why am I so passionate about coaching people on achieving SUCCESS? Why do I wear PURPLE every day, attend numerous business networking events, reach out to business owners to ask them about their story and find creative ways to get them more business? Why do I care so much about people succeeding in their dreams? In short, because I am the daughter of a man who could have written the book about SUCCESS and I admired him more than anyone else in my life.  Though my Dad passed in 1992 at the young age of 62, he owned a successful business and raised 6 children and made sure each of us had an education and positive self-worth.  He would challenge us to do better than average and inspire us to follow his love of life and helping other people while still going after your dreams.

So, when I look closely at “WHY” I work so hard  to help my clients succeed in business I realize that I am reliving the best part of my childhood.  Watching my Dad create magic in people’s lives and helping them to believe in themselves and to go on to living their dream and defining their own success.  And, that is “WHAT” I share with each and every business and why I created Purple Diamond.  To help businesses succeed: “Success wears the Purple Diamond!” ….because YOU deserve to succeed at YOUR dreams and I thank you for being part of my own!

Anyone can read-up on how to utilize Social Media to enhance their business, but if they do not actually USE these sites to build their brand, network and communicate with others they might not be the BEST person to help you navigate the waters of this new world.  Social Media is here to stay, but it takes someone who actually uses it, administers to multi-pages for other businesses and organizations and has a successful track record with online networking as the RIGHT one to call when you want to learn more.

Purple Diamond has ALL of that and is happy to help your business succeed with Social Media Marketing!  Call and schedule a consult today: 978-927-0626

So does this mean that in 2013 businesses no longer advertise on TV, launch a radio campaign, exhibit at Trade Shows, place ads in publications or consider direct mail?  No, marketing dollars will continue to be spent in all of these areas, but you will notice that in 2013 there will be a more active approach to Social Media Marketing and creating consistent quality content for sites like Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and even Pinterest.  An integrated approach to your marketing in 2013 will yield greater success!

Setting realistic time for  social media, creating S.M.A.R.T. goals, understanding real objectives, planning, commitment and how to integrate all of these in to a Social Media Marketing Campaign is the key to what your business needs.  It is much like owning a car without ever learning how to drive, the vehicle will crash if you jump in it and try to drive without real knowledge of how the car works or the rules of the road.  We see crashes daily on social media sites.  Companies that  attracted shoppers to their stores over the years with traditional advertising campaigns are now crashing and burning on social media sites.  Why?  Because they don’t know what they don’t know and social media sites change often and keeping up with the changes can be frustrating when you lack resources.

If what I have described is an example of what you are feeling as a business owner please know that there are businesses like Purple Diamond who can streamline the process and help get better results.

All my best to your success!

Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

So, what can you do today to create a system for maintaining your client’s loyalty? First, start with the basics of thanking them for being a client.  Sending a hand written thank-you note, adding a message to the billing statements and verbally telling the client that you appreciate their business goes a long way.  Next, be a person who likes to help your clients by sending them useful mailers with tips and information that will assist them in their life or business.  One of my marketing coaching clients who is a local realtor in Beverly, Tina McManus, sends out a newsletter to all her past real estate clients with helpful tips for their home and gardens.  The focus isn’t to sell them, but to help them enjoy the homes they have purchased and hopefully when they are in the market to buy or sell they will contact YourNorthShoreHome.com .  The key to customer loyalty is to go beyond the ordinary and to think of your customers like a dear friend.  When was the last time you sent your customer a birthday card or a postcard from your vacation trip?  Do you ask how their family is doing and offer genuine concern when you hear someone is ill?  Email newsletters are one way to stay connected with your clients, but many clients are too busy to read while at the office so invite them out  for lunch or a cup of coffee or to your home after work.  Find a way to clearly show them that they are more than just a client, but someone you care about.

Finally, the best way to show a client that you care about their business is to send them referrals or mention their business in your social media posts or at networking events.   Take the focus off yourself and consider how you can HELP your clients or the businesses around you.  Mark Beckley, owner of Small Business Computing in Reading, does this exceptionally well.  He takes the time to connect his clients with other businesses and always looks for ways to be helpful to the business networking groups he attends.  Last week he connected me with a company he had met at a business networking event that was looking to advertise on Cable TV and Mark quickly told the owner that he had to call Purple Diamond because we could save him money and aggravation….and we did! [Thanks Mark for your recommendation.]

Selling a new client is part of any business plan, but retaining that client with a well developed customer loyalty program that will keep that client for a lifetime is the key to marketing success!

All my best to your success! ~ Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

First, you must create a strategy for using Social Media Marketing. What is your company’s purpose for being on social sites and what do you want to get from the time you invest.  Is your goal realistic based on the resources you have and the time you are willing to devote to this type of marketing? Do you take Facebook or Twitter seriously or is it something that is last on your “to-do” list?  Have you built an in-house social team with your employees and friends and asked them to help you promote and engage on your social sites? Is social media marketing part of the culture at your company starting with you at the top?

Much like answering your business phone or making cold calls on prospects, if you and your employees participate on social media sites with a real strategy and consistency and offer quality content and are genuine in conversations, you will build brand awareness and close more sales.  It does take time and it also takes being part of the conversation and caring about others who are on these sites to get people to engage and eventually convert to clients.

There are “do’s and don’ts” to each site and you can do damage to your business if you choose to be the annoying one online  by spamming  groups or other pages with your next big sales offer or if you decide to get in to a political battle or post jokes that are questionable or offensive.  Consider that example of a first date that I mentioned in the first paragraph and ask yourself if you would share this stuff on that date and expect the person to still want to be around you again.  Remember that YOU are representing your business and even if you think the people who follow you or are friends with you online will not judge you, chances are it will still hurt your business so avoid doing this.

If you are still confused as to how to position your business using social media consider hiring a marketing consultant to help you create a strategy.  Look for one who uses social media successfully in your area and is willing to teach you and your team how to get success online!

All my best to your success! Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

Your Marketing Plan offers analysis of the industry you are in and who the players are in your market, your competitors, suppliers, and targeted customers for each product or service offered.   It also details the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in your industry [SWOT Analysis].  Beyond this analysis, your Marketing Plan covers your marketing strategy which must also address your objectives,  mission statement and how your product’s positioning keeps it in line with these objectives and what ways will your company use to get these products to customers.  Finally, a Marketing Plan will offer what success metrics you will use to monitor your progress and what signs will indicate when it is time to make changes to the plan.  Having a financial analysis with the breakeven analysis and an analysis that includes scenarios of what your business will do if the profit loss statements fall above or below the projected target as a contingency plan is the final element for a great Marketing Plan.

Whether you own a new business or are an established company with over 50 years in business, a current Marketing Plan can be a key element towards the success of your business in 2012.  It is never too late to compile this essential marketing information and create a Marketing Strategy based on real information.  The longer you run your business without the advantage of having a Marketing Plan, the greater chance of missed opportunities and wasted marketing dollars.

All my best to your success! ~Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

The first thing I recommend to my clients is that they offer quality information or tips to attract and maintain online contacts. The key is to be giving and helpful to their business or life. Give them a real reason to want to know more about you and your business. Erase the “sales hat” image and replace it with someone who cares about your contacts and not wasting their time. Allow them to feel comfortable to approach you with questions and be seen as the person who is there to help.

Next, know the right balance of giving help to contacts and becoming an unpaid consultant who never closes a sale. This is tricky, but I often get people who ask me for help with their social media marketing and marketing strategy for their business and since I am a paid coach I need to know when it is time to stop giving information away for free and to invite them to hire Purple Diamond. My rule is after 2 or 3 times of sharing my marketing expertise with a business I will take the communication off-line and set-up a meeting either on the phone or in person. This meeting is to convert the interested contact to a client or to re-classify them as not my ideal prospect and keep them as a contact with no intention to convert them or offer more free help other than my marketing tips that I post regularly.

Don’t try so hard that you turn your online contacts off from your business. Always remember that you have a quality product and when you appear “too needy” online it can have a negative impact for your business. People enjoy people who remain positive, upbeat and confident, but if you are negative and always looking desperate for a sale your pages will be the ones that are avoided. Look at your stats and if you are not getting traffic online ask yourself what needs to change. It might be the lack of content to your pages, but it could be that you are trying to “sell” in each post and that is making people avoid you.

Finally, be sure your pages offer testimonials and great info about why you are someone they should want to do business with. Offer consistent postings and interaction with your contacts and have a process ready to know when the best time is to close the sale. Good luck with your social media marketing!

All my best to your success~ Charlene

“Success Wears the Purple Diamond!”