The class is focused on marketing and publicity tactics necessary for artists, designers and other professionals. Participants explore benefits of media kits, promotional calendars, email signatures, and web-ready bios.

Real-world examples help students understand how to apply the information. Interactivity is encouraged during each of the three two-hour sessions. Exercises center around steps to move each business forward.

Elements included in the series:

• A basic overview of publicity/visibility options and why they’re critical to success
• General press releases and other information to publicize your work
• Social media, the new PR effort, and how it impacts you
• Prioritizing action items to get the word out
• Getting started with a plan

Previous participants say:

Mary Ellen’s program brings out the excitement in marketing and promotion (and I never knew there was any)! I learned to describe myself, not just present facts. – Chandra Bales

This course helps you focus on your strengths and how to market yourself. It helps you work through the challenges most of us put off, but are highly important in marketing yourself. – Veronica Bafo

Take charge of your marketing efforts. During this six-hour class you’ll build and present a mini-marketing plan, one you’ll be able to put to use immediately.

Sign up details: 

• UNM CE #55622, Marketing & Self-Promotion for Digital Artists
• 6pm – 8pm, Tuesdays, March 13, 20 and 27
• $179.00 fee
• Discounts may apply

Will you leave your marketing to chance or sign up for this course?

NOTE: If you’re still unsure, join UNMCEDigitalArts on Facebook for updates and discussion about Digital Arts at UNM Continuing Education, including this class.

Too simple? Simple makes sense.

If you have difficulty narrowing a myriad of projects to one goal, welcome to reality.

I participate in a mastermind group that tackles reality with a theme. Each participant develops the wording to focus their actions for the year. For example:

• Transcend What Is and Invent The New
• New Me
• Heart Vision, Intuitive Momentum

The theme offers a solution to multiple projects because, like an umbrella, it embraces all. Scheduling determines priorities.

Although every person has the same amount of time in one day, some get far more done than others. I’m convinced productive people know exactly what they need to do.

The steps look like this:

1. Establish a theme
2. Define goals
3. Break goals into realistic steps, i.e., what will I concentrate on this month?
4. Take monthly goals or concentrations and divide them into weekly ones
5. Each week, for example, list the top 10 goals for the week
6. For each weekly goal, list the steps or tactics that must be taken
7. Define a realistic amount of time for each tactic
8. Physically schedule tactics on your calendar

A calendar facilitates reality. If you have realistically estimated the time involved and marked it on your calendar, it’s simple to see if you are over-committing. I, for one, frequently list far too many projects for the time allotted if I fail to visually map out the tasks on a calendar.

One of my most important projects for first quarter 2012 is paring my 198-page ebook, “The Six Week Marketing Master Plan” to Four Weeks.

• Step one is to revise the 45-day table of contents (toc) outline to a new 30-day outline.

My TOC outline is due on/before next Tuesday. I estimate it could take as long as three to four hours to complete. My calendar has time blocked for completion of this task.

• Step two, the copy portion of the project gets more complicated.  Working from the toc outline I plan to complete all content rewrites prior to February 15. I will then and submit the new product to a graphic designer for finalization.
• Step three, the finalization of the project will be complete on/before March 15, 2012.

I determined one action – the rewrite of this ebook – could significantly impact my business in the next few months. I added accountability to my own project with a promise to copy someone else on my toc outline due next Tuesday. Then, I published my own deadlines here for the world to see.

It’s simple, this effort of gearing up to pare down.

What one action could have a real impact on your business for the next few months?

What’s stopping you from taking action?

A recent study suggests that companies of all sizes are re-evaluating their social marketing strategies.

More than 80% of those polled said their companies were failing to implement world-class social media strategies, although the majority acknowledged the rewards of social media programs outweighed the potential risks.

From a practical standpoint, mastering the learning curve of social networks is critical.

A course offering from UNMCE (University of New Mexico Continuing Education), “Marketing with Social Media,” addresses the problem, helping participants jump start their process.

About the course

The nine-hour series offers a strategic approach to social media. An assessment helps participants understand the gap between where they are and where they want to be, goals are established and tactical steps outlined.

Throughout the series, customized solutions are discussed.  Expert case studies offer examples of successes and failures in the social world.

As students dialogue their own options, practical answers begin to form. Systems and processes are discussed.

Homework specific to business marketing furthers understanding. Finally, a short term and long term strategy helps each learner understand how best to use social media.

Additional topics covered include:

• Social media for brand promotion
• Integrating the website with social media
• The growing importance of location-based services
• Advantages of selecting one social platform as a company hub
• The difference between broadcasting messages and conversing with customers
• Creative marketing strategies for small business survival
• Realistic schedules for social marketing

A recent UNMCE Infobyte previewed this class. 

 My talk was filmed and you can see it here.

“Marketing with Social Media” details:
Class # 55623

6pm – 9pm, Monday and Wednesday evenings, November 7, 9 and 14
 $229
 Register online

Will you be part of the classroom?

Similarly, businesses might evaluate communications in preparation for the New Year. The realities presented by 2012 demand a freshened marketing approach.

Traditional marketing plays the numbers game. It uses sales, advertising, promotion and public relations to send the message out.

The average person gets more than 2,000 outbound messages a day.

Trade shows, direct mail, television, radio and print advertising, all examples of traditional marketing, continue to lose effectiveness.

Studies show today’s customer chooses inbound communication, finding information on their terms. Can your business meet the demands of “real-time?”

In a presentation to clients at the Santa Fe Business Incubator, I listed five communication realities represented by these changes:

1. Because of the attention economy, now more than ever, your message must be defined and honed for your ideal customer.
2. Smartphones already play an important role in our lives. How mobile-friendly is your business?
3. New tools to consolidate information emerge daily. Your competitive advantage may well depend on your use of technology.
4. Interactivity is essential in all communication. This means the brochure website is dead. Not only must your website be interactive, but business must make responding to customers online and offline a priority.
5. Nothing substitutes for smart goals and good planning. Begin now to define your benchmarks for 2012.

Evaluate your business against these five realities. On a scale of one to five, with five being strong, how confident are you about your current situation? Download the pdf now. Are you prepared?

“Business more than any other occupation, is a continual dealing with the future.”

- Henry Luce

If you’re considering how social media will impact your business in 2012 attend a free infoByte session “Current Trends with Inbound Marketing and Social Media,”sponsored by UNMCE, University of New Mexico Continuing Education 5:15pm – 6:30pm Tuesday, September 27, 2011.

Presenter Mary Ellen Merrigan discusses the real problems encountered when solopreneurs and micro business owners plunge into business on the web and offers suggested solutions.

With more than 52% of companies world-wide now using social media, there’s no question of its viability. Business owners must increase social media effectiveness.

If you’ve held back because you don’t yet have a perfect strategy, or, if you’ve procrastinated about pursuing social media, this presentation is for you. Understanding these simple truths prepares you for the coming year.

Local examples and case studies offer practical solutions anyone can implement. Mary Ellen provides a simple and clear “how-to.” She presents the importance of action.

The “Five Social Media Truths You Need to Know for 2012” include:

1. Explosive growth leads to channel fatigue
2. Content continues to gain importance
3. Tools to manage social media proliferate
4. Boost website traffic through interactivity 
5. Plan tactics to increase success

Each truth contains a “silver lining,” identified as a specific action or series of action steps to combat the problems the truth represents. Examples from a variety of industries show the value of knowledge and planning.

All attendees receive worksheets as well as tip sheets with additional tools and resources.

Register online.

Details:

Title: Current Trends with Inbound Marketing and Social Media: Five Social Media Truths You Need to Know for 2012

Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Time: 5:15-6:30pm

Place: UNM CE, South Building, 1634 University Blvd NE

Fee: No charge to attend. RSVP required

Business climates change. The competitive landscape shifts. Communication tactics morph (Facebook, anyone?) and your business is forced to take notice.

If additional marketing focus is one of your business goals, enroll in “Four Weeks to a Master Marketing Plan,” a class series presented by the Albuquerque South Valley Small Business Development Center.

The Marketing Master Plan derives its success from facilitated sessions with small business owners. This series begins Thursday August 11, 2011 at the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, 1309 Fourth Street SW.

Details: 1pm – 4pm, Thursdays
August 11, 2011 – September 2, 2011
Investment: $250 per attendee
Register online

Dozens of small business owners have completed this series. When asked what they liked best about the classes, previous participants said:

“Group feedback from peers who are knowledgeable and interested in class discussions”

“Directed conversation”

“The push to pinpoint your client and describe your business in seven to eight words is very helpful”

“Development of business bio”

“Goal setting”

“I enjoyed peer input as well as the introduction to many tools to assist in my marketing plan.”

“Finding out ways to multi-task”

“Feedback, helpful weblinks and utilities”

“The comfort level to ask any question”

Five reasons to consider enrolling in the Four-Week Marketing Master Plan class series:

1. The structure of this program makes it easy to proceed. No more questions about where to start. Instead, you focus on your business, beginning with its goals, an analysis of its strengths and weaknesses and an overview of your best customer.
2. Small groups increase your market planning effectiveness. Participants serve as sounding boards, trusted advisors and creative catalysts for brainstorming.
3. With no ringing phones, you concentrate fully on your business and identifying the marketing tactics to make your product/service noticeable.
4. Interactive weekly meetings hold you accountable and by the end of the four-session class series, you develop a detailed plan with time lines for each action.
5. The workbook, 197-pages of worksheets, guides, resources and questions, is yours to keep.

Costs for the sessions is $250. Participation is limited to 10.

Sessions are presented by Mary Ellen Merrigan, author of “The Six-Week Marketing Master Plan.”

Comments from previous 6WMMP participants include:

“I found it was easier to start thinking about a comprehensive marketing plan for my own business through our sharing and feedback sessions and reviewing other class attendees’ strategy.” – Aubrey Owens, BigByte.cc Corp

“Positive ways of learning how to manage the marketing mudslide and use it to your advantage.” Jonathan Kronz, Aveda Institute New Mexico

“I love how the material holds you accountable with lists and worksheets.” – Karyth Becenti, Mark Pardo Hair Skin Body

“Mary Ellen’s program helped me focus, answer questions, and provided direction and suppork.” – Dolores Maez, Inn at the Delta

“The people you meet in class are wonderful and the synergy of ideas are mind-expanding. So much information – you leave each session bursting with new ideas.” – Margaret Onuska

“Mary Ellen’s program was very informative with many social media ideas as well as a detailed outline on developing a marketing plan.” – Janea Davis, Advanced Transcription.

“Marketing and Self-Promotion for Digital Artists,” a two-session class from The University of New Mexico Continuing Education, begins July 26, 2011.

Students in this class will take charge of self-promotional campaigns, understand the marketing choices that work today, and then gain confidence as a result of their work.

The interactive class platform encourages participation. Participants organize marketing information based on practical, real-world case studies and tips as they apply to individual situations.

In addition to identifying messages, participants choose 10 marketing tactics that could best serve them or their business.

By the end of the second session, students develop a mini one-page marketing plan that sums up next future steps.

The course includes:

• A basic overview of publicity/visibility options and why they’re critical to success
• General press releases and other information to publicize your work
• Social media, the new PR effort, and how it impacts you
• Prioritizing action items to get the word out
• Getting started with a plan

Details:

Course #55622 – Marketing and Self-Promotion for Digital Artists

Session one, 6pm – 9pm Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Session two, 6pm – 9pm Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Fee: $179.00
Register online at UNM CE.

“It’s expensive to advertise.”
“With so many choices, where do you put your money?”
“Everything is changing – will my business survive?”

If you recognize yourself in these statements/questions, you’re not alone. The sheer proliferation of marketing channels causes many small business owners to request help with marketing. Every day I hear from individuals who want reassurance. It’s a fact: there’s no easy solution.

Move from questions to action in a series of Marketing Master Plan classes sponsored by the South Valley SBDC. Learn from your peers, other small business owners who experience some of the same problems you face.

The Marketing Master Plan Series is back by popular demand. Each of the four-week sessions provides opportunities for hands-on work. Participants receive a copy of the updated 197-page e-book, “The Six-Week Marketing Master Plan,” a $69.95 value.

Weekly agendas include:

6WMMP in 4: Week 1 Objectives (1:00pm – 4pm, Thursday May 26, 2011)
• Engage in the 6WMMP challenge
• Prepare a SWOT analysis
• Connect value and differentiation in business
• Define your target audience
• Find your audience online
• Assess your competition
• Grasp the importance of Google analytics
• Understand how this places in the plan

6WMMP in 4: Week 2 Objectives (1:00pm – 4pm, Thursday June 2, 2011)
• Assess your business and social media
• Understand the social threesome
• Solidify the social choice of a Facebook Page
• Identify differences between Profiles & Pages
• Boost knowledge of mobile and local search
• Grasp how a bio fits in and boosts visibility
• Build a measurable social media strategy
• Understand social media’s place in the plan

6WMMP in 4: Week 3 Objectives (2:00pm – 5pm, Thursday June 9, 2011)
• Develop Fact Sheet for collateral materials
• Formulate and prioritize edit list for website
• Review additional web resources
• Discover additional media to showcase
• Prepare to launch an online media room
• Understand how this places in the plan

6WMMP in 4: Week 4 Objectives (1:00pm – 4pm, Thursday June 16, 2011)
• Plan promotions for your business
• Develop and prioritize an editorial calendar
• Produce a blog calendar and categories
• Schedule your strategic publishing plan
• Build your One Page Marketing Plan
• Define next steps
• Celebrate! Completion

The South Valley SBDC first offered this program in April 2011. When asked, “What did you like best about this seminar series?” participants responded:

“feedback, helpful weblinks and utilities”
“finding out ways to multitask”
“group feedback from peers who are knowledgeable and interested in class discussions while Mary Ellen directs the conversation”
“the goal-setting, designing the path”
“flow and positivity”
I enjoyed the opportunity of peer input as well as the introduction to many tools to assist in my marketing plan”

Register through the South Valley SBDC.

“The people you meet in class are wonderful and the synergy of ideas are mind-expanding.” – Margaret Onuska

“I found it was easier to start thinking about a comprehensive marketing plan for my own business through our sharing and feedback sessions and reviewing other class attendees’ strategy.” -Aubrey Owens

“Uplifting, informative, positive ways of learning how to manage the marketing mudslide and use it to your advantage.” – Jonathan Kronz

Conclusion:

Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas Cowboys said, “A coach is someone who makes you do what you don’t want to do so you can become who you want to be. Get coached on a current marketing plan with the Master Marketing Plan Series. Participants develop their plan during the month and present it at the final session.

Details:
South Valley SBDC
Thursdays, 1-4pm
May 26, 2011 through June 16, 2011
Register online or for more information call Liliana at 505-248-0132.

Yet, according to Jeremiah Owjang, Industry Analyst and Partner for Altimeter, 41% of all businesses are reactive, not proactive when it comes to social media.

Local experience bears out national statistics like these. Consider the bed and breakfast operator who now uses only Facebook to promote. Or, the feed store now building an email list as well as a Facebook page. No print. No local advertising.

Has social media killed other methods of advertising? Or, are businesses merely reacting to the mode of the day, hoping for dramatic results?

In a presentation for the Albuquerque Independent Business Association’s Local.Lunch.Learn, Mary Ellen Merrigan talks about strategies to successfully navigate today’s gaggle of marketing channels. She draws on stories from locals as well as national case studies to create actionable and pragmatic solutions.

Join the conversation.

Details:
Location: Slate Street Café
515 Slate Ave NW
Time: 11:30am – 1:00pm, Thursday May 12, 2011
Title: “Facebook, Twitter, Flyers and More – What’s Working Now?”
Reservations required

About Mary Ellen Merrigan
Mary Ellen wrote and published The Six-Week Marketing Master Plan to guide small businesses through the marketing maze. The revised e-book, published in March 2011, serves as the basis for an ongoing series of classes designed to guide individuals through their own marketing plan. For class information, contact the South Valley SBDC. Mary Ellen continues to combine social media with other more traditional channels. She regularly consults with small business owners including some of the best known names in Albuquerque.

On the other hand, if you’ve put your profile up on a number of social networking sites and “nothing has happened,” it could be time for a reality check.

In a presentation for the Administrative Professional Conference, Mary Ellen Merrigan discusses the phenomenon of being everywhere and going nowhere.

“Marketing Yourself with Social Media” presentation takeaways include:

Five simple steps you can take immediately to unleash your persona on the world

A list of best practices for each step

Tips to define your brand across all channels

A guide to identifying your communication channels

Timing, tools and tactics to help your effort succeed

Mary Ellen works with a variety of business professionals to combine new methods of marketing with more traditional ones. She emphasizes quality over quantity and shows individuals how to stand out in a cookie-cutter world. Her presentation includes real-world case studies and ideas you can implement immediately following the presenation.

It’s not too late to take charge of your online reputation. Enroll in this seminar and discover how.

The 2011 Administrative Professional Conference features four tracks: Workplace Tools, Taking Care of Yourself, Creating a Healthy Workplace and Finding a Different Workplace. “Marketing With Social Media” is scheduled for 10:45-12noon on Tuesday April 26, 2011.

UNM Continuing Education presents the 10th Annual Administrative Professional Conference April 26-27. Access more information or register online.