Brand YOUR Best Life!

How to Connect and Click in a Solo-Driven Society; Free eBook on Networking

2012-01-10T16:13:00.000-05:00

Though entrepreneurs tend not to be joiners, trade groups can offer excellent networking opportunities to help entrepreneurs grow their business--provided they choose the right one.

Often, organizations promise more than they can deliver, and members can become disappointed as well as lose time and money, according to experts.

Here are a few things to keep in mind before joining:

* Do your homework: There are hundreds of options for the small business owner, but only so many hours in a day. Before you join, check out the association, talk to current members, and attend a meeting to get a feel for its value to you and your company: "Small business owners should definitely look for referrals [and] joint venture and partnership opportunities within the group, as well as marketing support;' says business coach Ramon Williamson of Leesburg, Virginia. "Go to a meeting, get a copy of the group's last two newsletters or magazines, visit its Website, and review its membership list," he says.

* Check out the benefits of membership: Many organizations offer their members discounts and perks. The rewards of joining a trade group include increased exposure in your community (as a result of events, functions, and volunteer opportunities), access to other members' businesses on a more personal level (as opposed to cold calling), networking among members, and access to certain business services (such as rental cars and insurance) at discounted or reduced prices.

* Be proactive: Just because you plunk down your membership dues doesn't mean you'll start reaping the rewards. To realize the true value of membership, get involved, attend meetings, and volunteer to serve on a committee a few hours a month.

(For more free tips, get this eBook featuring Pam Perry, PR coach: http://www.e-junkie.com/pamperry/product/351023.php)

* Stick with it: Leslie Grossman, co-founder of the Women's Leadership Exchange in New York, sees it all the Lime: small business owners join a new organization, then drop out when their expectations aren't met quickly. Most experts and small business "joiners" agree that if--provided you're devoting enough time and energy and in spite of your early research--the group doesn't produce benefits within a year, then it's definitely time to cut your losses and move to another group.

Simone Monique Barnes, an entrepreneur who belongs to several organizations, suggests attending a few of the flee social events put on by groups of interest, and then worrying about joining later. "It's gotten to the point where you can literally wind up joining 15 different organizations if you're not careful," says Barnes, an active participant in Thrillseekers Inc., the Women's Leadership Exchange, Public Relations Society of America, and National Association of Minorities in Communications.

To join or not to join? Trade groups can boost business--if you pick the right one.

The bottom line is that the benefits of joining an organization are hard to overlook--provided you choose the right one.

Websites to Check Out (see www.mmbdc.com)

Entrepreneurs interested in additional information about trade groups should visit the following Websites:

The Black Business Association (BBA)
www.bbala.org
Identifies and creates financial opportunities for African American-owned businesses. The BBA also promotes the development and support of minority business enterprises and provides training for entrepreneurial professional development.

The National Black Chamber of Commerce
www.nationalbcc.org
Dedicated to economically empowering African American communities through entrepreneurship.

The United States Chamber of Commerce National Directory
www.uschamber.com
Allows you to search a national database of chambers of commerce organizations and find one closest to your business.

Marketing Opportunities in Business and Entertainment (MOBE)
www.mobe.com
Focuses on making connections within the business and entertainment world. MOBE offers sales leads, how-to panels, business clinics, and a national marketing network.

Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/business-planning/668129-1.html#ixzz1j5hZxdbD

Get connected, join our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/teampw

http://www.pamperry.org

Pam Perry on radio

2012-01-01T13:56:00.001-05:00

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.2

How to Build Your Brand for Your Business Career: Hear the exclusive interview with Pam Perry

2011-12-29T19:32:00.000-05:00

Listen to internet radio with YBP on Blog Talk Radio

Pam Perry is a popular media personality and contributor to the business, online and Christian market media.

This page contains recent media and details to contact Pam for an interview.

Interview Topics

Social Media
Personal Branding for Authors
Christian Book Market
Social Media for Pastors
Christian Writers Conferences

Interview Requests

For interviews, late breaking news and commentary, please call (248) 426-2300.

Pam Perry Social Media

Pam Perry on Twitter Pam Perry’s Facebook Fanpage

National Media

Pam Perry Featured in Black Enterprise

Pam Perry Featured in Michigan Chronicle

Pam Perry on Social Media – Gospel Today Magazine

Articles and Guest Blogging Example

Pam Perry Featured in The Network Journal

SKYPE Interview Example

Reinventing Yourself Through Networking

Honored and Featured in:

People of Color Impacting the Social Web

Top 50 Black Business Women online, BBWO

Top 25 Urban Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter

30 PR Experts You Should Follow on Twitter

Social Media PR Roundtable

http://www.pamperry.org

Christmas video from Pam Perry and Ramon Williamson

2011-12-26T00:46:00.001-05:00

www.perrywilliamson.com

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.1

Christmas video

2011-12-26T00:44:00.001-05:00

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.1

The Perry Williamson Story

2011-12-22T12:24:00.000-05:00

GET "HANDS ON" & CUSTOM SOCIAL MEDIA TRAINING WITH PAM PERRY
SEE VIDEO INTERVIEW OF PAM PERRY | Click Here! Visit our PR PRO SHOP for tools and tips!

Superstar attitude, Superstar Lifestyle: Odeen Eccleston "More Than Just A Dime"

2011-12-07T03:51:00.001-05:00

Odeen Eccleston - Woman with a Story

Written by Pauleanna

I had the opportunity to sit down with Odeen Eccleston inside her luxurious penthouse suite over looking the city for our one on one. I took the time to get to know her and dive deep inside her thoughts. Odeen is a successful real estate agent who has created a solid career in such a short amount of time.

At 26 years young, she knows exactly what she wants in life and is striving towards her goals with tunnel vision. Speaking with Odeen has rekindled my own passions and just seeing the way she is in love with her career (eats, sleeps and breathes it)- left a great impression with me. We laughed, we shared and we learned alot from each other. I'm happy to share her story with you ...

How old are you? 20s/30s/40s? I’m 26.

What is your zodiac sign? I’m Gemini

What is your educational background? I went to the University of Toronto. I have my Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in English and psychology. I did a double major.

Where were you born? Raised? Live now? Born in Toronto, raised in Toronto and live in Toronto.

Single or Taken? Taken

First job ever? When I was 14 or 15 I worked in retail at the mall.

First “real” job? My first real job is what I am doing now! Working in real estate.

Your 5 “must haves” of the moment? XM Satelite Radio ( I lovvvve listening to Oprah and Suzy Orman)
Mascara (and it has to be Voluminous)
My Ipad2
Chocolate mousse cake
My mother (lol)

What are you currently listening to? I am listening to ... Latest addition to my ipod is Meek Mill’s mixtape…vintage Mariah is always on heavy rotation as well.

So what do you do? I am an entrepreneur. I’ve been acting since I was a child, then evolved into a Realtor and a writer.

(SOLD!!)

Take us along the path (personal & professional) that took you where you are today.

Well my father was a Realtor and I used to help him out a bit when I was younger, which enabled me to learn about the industry. Growing up, I never really thought that I would ever delve into it myself, but when I was in my last semester at UofT, I thought to myself…hmm..after attaining this degree, what am I going to do to make a solid income? I already had a lot on my plate; I was in school, going to auditions and acting in commercials and stuff- but I still couldn’t decide on what I really wanted to do with my degree.

So I created another option for myself. I decided that I would get my real estate license concurrently during that final semester of university. It took me a little more than 10 months to complete and after the high of selling my first couple of properties, I became really passionate about finding people the perfect home! My parents own multiple properties and have always educated me on investing, and again- my dad was a Realtor so realistically, I grew up in this business. In a sense- I guess it was just meant to be.

I love being in charge of my own business and being my own boss. I love the fact that being a Realtor allows me to have more control over my life; because with acting I found myself feeling very out of control as my fate is always in the hands of casting directors. That being said, being a Realtor allows me the scheduling flexibility to pursue my other endeavours, so I’m able to continue to act when opportunities come along as well as write- which is something I’m also passionate about. I like having multiple avenues of income. It keeps things really interesting (and really busy) in my life.

In terms of my writing career, I was one of the editors of my school newspaper and I write freelance for a few print and online publications. I’ve made a few appearances in Sway Magazine, you should check it out! I have also started my first book which will be coming out in 2011

I’ve always been surrounded by people who have inspired me, whether it was the men that I’ve dated or family and friends. They have all played integral roles in encouraging and inspiring me. I also come from a huge family who have high expectations of me.

What’s the toughest thing you’ve been faced with thus far? Ageism and sexism.
At first I fibbed to people about my age because when I first got my license I was 22, so sometimes I would infer that I was a tad older in an effort to combat the possibility of age discrimination.

What did your parents want you to be?
Happy.

What’s the best piece of advice you were ever given? Just keep swimming.

(Odeen and myself)

What advice do you have for women who want to follow in your footsteps? To have tunnel vision and to have a plan. Always have a very detailed plan and write down every single step it takes to get to the end result and stay on course because you’re in the driver’s seat.

Also I think it’s so important to study the habits of people who are extremely successful. Try to incorporate their positive habits into your own course of action and you should have a similar outcome.

Is it possible for a woman to balance both love and career successfully? Yes. Only if your partner inspires you and encourages you.

What’s next for you? I am most excited about my book. I’m going to take the self publishing route. I received 2 offers but the bottom-line wasn’t a figure that excited me enough, so I’m using my own capital to publish this book (and in the future other writers’ books) myself.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years... 10 years? I want to continue to help guide people towards realizing their property ownership and real estate goals and eventually start my own brokerage. I see myself as a best-selling author and hopefully by then I will be married with at least two kids.

And lastly, in your opinion, What do Women Want??
To be loved.

Tap into your passion, and you'll discover authentic confidence.

Like Odeen on Facebook:

www.Facebook.com/AuthorOdeenEccleston

Twitter: @odeen

How to Focus - and get More Done

2011-12-04T03:05:00.000-05:00

Coming soon... Social Media Swag TV!

AVOID DISTRACTIONS!
Work on one thing, and one thing only, until Completion!

Get the FREE 5-part eCourse | Click Here!

Visit website for free articles

Kimberly Perry ART Debut Show in Livonia Michigan

2011-11-19T22:15:00.004-05:00

Are you CREATIVE? See this. Make a difference! Make it your ministry
www.PerryWilliamson.com

7 Steps to Make 2012 Spectacular, Sensational and Super!

2011-11-15T21:57:00.000-05:00

Listen to this quick podcast on how to make 2012 YOUR BEST Yet ...in 7 EASY Steps..

http://www.pamperry.org

Pam Perry of Perry + Williamson Needs Your Help

2011-11-12T16:59:00.000-05:00

SEE EVENTS BY ESSENCE OF MOTOWN LITERARY NETWORK | Click Here!

Visit our website for featured authors!

Blogalicious 2011 - Pam Perry and LaShanda Henry talking about eBooks

2011-10-29T22:45:00.000-04:00

Visit me at www.PamPerryPR.com too!

What Is Your Abundant Purpose?

2011-10-08T12:31:00.000-04:00

“Your purpose is not a secret, it’s inside of you. So let your light shine and it will illuminate.” – Valder Beebe

The Valder Beebe Show, a spiritual talk show, came into existence for women to “change the way we look at things – so the things we look at will change.” Have you answered GOD’s Call? “The Called” know and embrace their life’s purpose. All are called by GOD, yet few answer. Do you know your purpose? Each person arrives on this planet to fulfill his/her unique purpose. Purpose is like a GPS system (or a God Prospering System). When you know your purpose, you naturally hone in on the path for your life’s journey, illuminate the answers, see the choices to be made, and find the people who will accompany you on your journey for a reason, a season and very seldom for a lifetime.

Following your purpose is not always an illuminated path. You must follow your spirit, use your GPS and keenly develop your tools for the journey. Also along the way you must communicate with GOD, pray without ceasing, give GOD the first of everything, look for GOD in everyone that you meet, and expect the best from GOD. For with GOD, all things are possible, as GOD will always dream a more abundant dream than you can ever dream.

The bigger question I always hear is “How should I search for my purpose?” You do not have to search for what is yours; no one else can have it. GOD would not hide your purpose from you and make you play hide and seek for it. Everything that we want to know including ‘What is my purpose?’ is inside of each of us. So, we know where the purpose resides, we just have to dig through the disappointments, failures, pain and other muck to uncover it. How do you find your Abundant (which means GOD) Purpose?

Here are tools that you will need along your journey. Feed your spirit with affirmations, practice meditation, engage in prayer without ceasing, make church the backbone of your life, have quiet time often, and have ongoing contemplation time with GOD.

And remember to add the Fruits of The Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Gather your tools andjust talk to GOD. “GOD, I am ready to live my life. It’s my walk, but help me to do it Your way.” This simple request is powerful, and no answer returns from GOD unanswered. Manifesting your purpose is a journey (never a destination). There is an abundance formula that always works: Ask; Receive (put yourself in vibrational harmony to receive); GOD always answers.

ValderBeebe hosts The Valder Beebe Show, a spiritual talk show “for women, by women,” broadcast on KKVI Radio FM 89.9/95.9, RhythmFlowRadio.net and PodCast on www.valderbeebeshow.com. Contact Valder Beebe via Twitter.com/valderbeebeshow or e-mail valderbeebe@valderbeebeshow.com. Tune daily to kkviradio.com, 12 noon for Valder Beebe’s THAT CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Busting Out of Depression to GlamGirl on the GO!

2011-09-17T23:38:00.001-04:00

“I am a professional dreamer.” – Dorothy Tene Redmond

Wow. It’s amazing to watch this young lady evolve from a once depressed Detroit-factory worker/college student to now a young woman who is living the life of her dreams.
How did she do it? She found purpose. She found her passion. She connected with the right people.
Dorothy Tene Redmond was just getting through life when I met her about 12 years. She was at a Valentine’s event of my mentor where I was giving a “talk” about love. I remember rambling on about purpose, passion, love and visualization. I also remember looking over at her and seeing how BORED she looked. I thought to myself – I better shut up because this girl is going to fall asleep and start snoring. LOL.

Essentially I wrapped up my talk that went over:

Pursue your passions
Plan & prepare
Be optimistic
Possess an “I can do it” attitude
Set purposeful goals
Be a person of prayer
Visualize your future outcome
Take exciting vacations
Maintain an exercise routine
Develop a regular reading regimen
Have a sense of style
Realize the importance of your network

After I finished, “Sleeping Beauty Dorothy” awoke. She started to speak – and went on to tell her story to the group.

She told of how she always wanted to be a journalist, travel the world, give back to her community and do it with style.
What was stopping her? She told me it was the “haters” in her life and how her self-esteem was in the toilet because certain people didn’t believe she could do any of the things she dreamed about.
Really? My advice to her, “You don’t need anyone’s permission to live your dreams.”
Funny, sometimes you can say things to young people and you never how that outcome of those words will translate into their lives.

But for Dorothy Tene Redmond – something happened that even surprised (and inspired) me.
These are some of the highlights of what has happened:
1. She graduated, quit her factory job and began her journalism career.
2. She is now a full-time “freelance” writer who has written stories for Heart & Soul Magazine, numerous travel magazines and black publications across the country.
3. Interview celebrities like Beyonce (her first cover story), Kelly Rowland, Alicia Keys, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson,
Ciara, Usher, Trey Songz and tons of others! And she has met and taken tons of photos with the world’s most famous folks - (check her facebook page out).
3. Wrote and produced six successful plays, the first one, “Magahogny Dreams”. (LOVED IT!!!!!!!!)
4. Co-Director of Hal Jackson’s “Talented Teens” where she mentored tons you young ladies and taught them glamor tips.
5. Been given FREE cars to test drive and write about for months at a time and traveled the world writing — on someone’s else dime!
6. Traveled to Australia to Mexico to Portugal to Antigua to Africa and tons of US cities plus covered President Obama’s inauguration…..as a journalist!

(Can you believe someone told her that she couldn’t WRITE? Haters!)
“I remember the one’s that didn’t help me – that inspires me to always try to help others. Sometimes you just need someone to believe in you and encourage you to be all you were meant to be,” said Dorothy.
She went on, “I remember when I met you Pam. I was in a dark place. I felt hopeless. No one was encouraged me – but what you said stuck with me.
And you continued to pour into my life. You always gave me inspirational books to read and report back to you about.”

Paying it forward. That’s what it is all about. I was at my mentor’s home doing a

“talk” and from that I gained a “mentee” in DC that I am so, so proud of.

She is living life like it’s GOLDEN!

So, go live YOUR dreams girl! Glam it up too!

Brand YOUR best life!

You don’t have to great to get started – but you have to start to be great.

Eat. Love. Pray. Dorothy Redmond, you go glamgirl!

Pam Perry is a rebranding. She is an award-winning, certified social media strategist and PR coach.

She is the new President/CEO of Social Media PR Solutions, LLC. You can find her social media bread crumbs at http://about.me/pamperry

My Blogalicious » Blog Archive » Busting Out of Depression to GlamGirl on the GO!

See www.PamPerryPRCoach.com too and join www.ChocolatePagesNetwork.com!

A Must-Listen-To Interview With The Pitbull of Personal Development® - Bob Burg's Interview with Larry Winget

2011-09-16T13:35:00.000-04:00

Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life was immediately hailed as "not your average self-help book" and demanded attention and praise right out of the gate. It is now considered one of the icons of the personal development movement. Now, Larry Winget is back with his signature caustic, no-nonsense, hilarious style, which earned him the titles "Pitbull of Personal Development" and "World's Only Irritational Speaker." Winget's "get off your butt and go to work" approach to self-improvement boils success down to a simple formula: Everything in your life gets better when you get better.

Get tangible advice from one of the world's most successful speakers and the author of five bestselling books and television personality.
Learn the keys to turning your life, money and business around.
Stop making excuses, stop blaming others and take responsibility for your life and your results.

The brutal advice he offers has changed the lives of millions of people and increased sales for countless businesses. In this Second Edition of Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life, Winget takes the same principles and expands the lessons with brand new examples, stories, and added wisdom. It may sound ruthless, but your life is your own fault and if you shut up, stop whining, and take action you can create a better life.

Listen to the interview...

http://larrywinget.com/burg1.html

"Bob Burg's Interview with Larry Winget - A Must-Listen-To Interview With The Pitbull of Personal Development®

Today's interview is very special; our guest might just ruffle our feathers and get in ourfaces, and even take a bite out of our complacency. Well, let's put it this way...He is known worldwide as the Pitbull of Personal Development®. And, indeed he is.
He is also extremely wise, on-point and has information that can help anyone willing to put their egos and "but's" aside to create a much better, richer, happier and more effective life.
Larry Winget is a five-times New York Times/Wall Street Journal bestselling author translated into 20 languages. He is a member of the International Speaker Hall Of Fame. He has starred in his own television series, his own PBS special, and appeared in national television commercials. Larry is also a regular contributor on many news shows (including those on FOX and MSNBC) on the topics of money, personal success, parenting and business."

WARNING: Larry pulls no punches, so fasten your seat belts and prepare to — more than anything — really enjoy this super cool discussion with Larry Winget.

A Must-Listen-To Interview With The Pitbull of Personal Development® - Bob Burg's Interview with Larry Winget

Check out Larry's website: www.LarryWinget.com

From: Burg Communications, Inc.

SEE VIDEO INTERVIEW OF PAM PERRY | Click Here!

How Should YOU Utilize SEO For YOUR Business?

2011-08-19T22:43:00.002-04:00

The mysterious Google's algorithm. If you could really figure it out - it would be like having the secret that unlocks all mysteries of the universe. Because Google rules. And having Page Rank #1 is the goal, right?

Well, read this article and see how many myths about SEO you have been believing. Our best customer is an educated customer. That's what we strive to do at Social Media PR Solutions. www.socialmediaprsolutions.com

Read on "The top 10 SEO myths..." from Google staffer.

Amplify’d from www.netmagazine.com

Search marketing consultant Mark Buckingham destroys his 10 favourite search engine optimisation myths and asks leading experts such as Google's Matt Cutts and Search Engine Land's Matt McGee for their opinion

Chance are, if you're readying this, you've dabbled with SEO to varying levels of success; from minor frustration to Google gratification. Whatever your experience, myths still abound the oft-laboured carousel of search engine optimisation: at its best, a well planned, ongoing strategy in the pursuit of visibility and primed accessibility, underpinning, informing and complimenting exemplary design usability and content. At its worst, a dark art, misunderstood, an unwieldy afterthought, a quick fix that did you more harm than good.
For truly effective SEO, working in tandem with good design, content creation and general business practice; look beyond the dashboard for the route to success.
Let's look at 10 of my personal perennial favourite SEO myths.

1. Satisfaction, guaranteed
Let's start with the bedrock of search marketing: there is really no such thing as guaranteed rankings when it comes to organic, or natural search results. Any company or specialist proffering such should be treated warily; ask whether they're referring specifically to organic search terms or paid search? Whilst is possible to speculate on long tail niche keywords searches, for all but the most niche key terms, results will vary and can take weeks, if not months. A good search marketer will set realistic expectations, using SEO to prime all areas of your website and content, rather than offer empty promises.
There are one or two hundred factors that influence your ranking with the search engines - no company or individual can control all of these.

Matt McGee

SEO might be best achieved with great skill, but there are myriad external factors, dependent on the success of your products or services, not to mention a slice of luck, involved with determining whether or not you get visibility on the internet mantelpiece.
Search Engine Land's executive news editor, Matt McGee says: "The only way to even possibly come close to guaranteeing rankings is if you're doing it on the paid side and happen to have a term that you're willing to bid high enough on and to get high enough clickthrough to sustain top spot. Also, personalisation comes into play: what you see might be different to what I see, so there's absolutely no way to guarantee a number one ranking on Google".

2. A high Google PageRank = high ranking
Despite popular belief, Google PageRank does not equal your ranking. The idea that a high PR means you're going to rank across the board for everything is a myth. "For certain keywords a lower PR page might outrank a higher PR page, but the rankings don't specifically go in exact PR order", says Matt McGee. Having a high PageRank is nice but it doesn't automatically mean high rankings for everything, and it certainly doesn't automatically mean you're going to get tons of traffic and sales.
McGee adds: "It's still often seen as the number one factor in Google's algorithm when it's actually one of a couple of hundred factors. It's a very visible symbol for a lot of webmasters and business owners, but the more time you spend in the search world, the sooner you realise it's not the be-all and end-all."

3. Endorsed by Google
Put simply, if you're dealing with a firm who make any allusion that they're "endorsed" or "approved" by Google for optimisation purposes, it's likely they're a fraud. The reality is that Google does not endorse any SEO company. They do have Analytics and AdWords certification, so providers in these areas can take tests for accreditation. "Google defiantly does not put their stamp of approval on any individual consultant or company", affirms Matt McGee.
Personally, I'm not opposed to the idea of some accreditation or regulatory standards, given this very subject matter, and unregulated nature of the search world, but I just can't see it happening any time soon. Google's Webmaster Guidelines and its beginners guide to SEO, as well as various esteemed resources on the web, should be consulted when undertaking any SEO or hiring a professional, but many professionals cite that what they teach you is very vanilla. McGee adds: "It gets you in the door but it's not always going to be everything that you need."

Google's SEO Starter Guide covers around a dozen common areas that webmasters might consider optimising

4. Meta tag keywords matter

Matt Cutts

A perennial favourite myth is probably the keywords meta tag. Google's head of Webspam search sage, Matt Cutts, says: "Google doesn't use the keywords meta tag in our scoring at all. It's just a waste of time to throw a lot of phrases into the keywords meta tag. It would be a better use of your effort to do things like speed up your website, because that can directly improve the usability of your site even independently of SEO." Meta tag descriptions, and certainly titles matter, but it's true the keyword tag is generally completely redundant across the board.
David Mihm, president of GetListed.org, agrees: "'Can you help me optimise my meta keywords?' This is probably the number one phrase I hear from small business owners who call and want me to help them with website optimisation. The fact is that no search engine uses them any more. Google, which rarely discloses ANYTHING important about its algorithm, formally declared it does not use meta keywords via its search quality guru Matt Cutts nearly two years ago. The two 'metas' that site owners should still worry about are including keywords in the <title> tag (extremely important for optimisation), and the meta description, which, although it does not seem to affect ranking, can be used to increase clickthrough rates from the search result pages."

5. Cheat your way to the top
Attempting to tricking Google, Bing, et al, and trying to manipulate search results is a bad idea, and even if you succeed, if and when the search engines discover your site’s deception, you risk your site will be removed from the index, with potentially disastrous business consequences.
It's arguable that Google et al might miss the odd page with a few sneaky invisible keywords; after all, this might be the work of an errant (but potentially well meaning) assistant and not your own work. But a trend or consistency of black-hat SEO is likely to do you much more harm than good as the search engines get better and better at sniffing out sites, from dubious redirects to affiliate link farms, that simply don't deserve to be there.
The basic adage is, if it works for the user, it's likely to have a place on Google; how far up you climb is dependent on myriad of factors, and those sites that cheat aren't just risking their credibility, but usually reek of over-optimisation, which in some cases can be a by-product of a site that was never really designed to please its audience first and foremost. Being gung-ho in your quest for high rakings at the expense of your content is nearly always a futile process.

6. Keywords? Cram 'em in
The notion that keywords that every page needs a certain percentage of time to outrank the competition is a fallacy. Says Matt McGee: "I've always said you do have to use the keywords, you need to have pages that talk about the products and services you sell. There's no perfect number: it's not that if you mention the keyword seven times on this page I'm automatically going to rank well. It doesn't work that way: there are so many other factors and a page that gets a lot of inbound links with the right anchor text can rank for terms that don't even appear on the page. The notion that there's a perfect percentage for keywords simply isn't true. "

David Mihm

Furthermore, your copy should be persuasive, informative and punchy: you'll only serve to limit your copy's punch by simply clawing keywords into the text. Be verbose, create opportunities to talk about your company, products and niche verticals, but never, repetitive.
David Mihm: "It's a myth to say 'I will optimise your website’s Keyword Density'. It is important to include keywords on your pages but there is NO 'magic number' of times to use a keyword. Write your text for humans!"

7. Spending money on Google AdWords boosts your rankings
The assumption that spending money on AdWords will somehow engender you to Google and thus advantage your organic search listings is an understandable, but untrue, belief. Google has said so many times over the years, but the myth never seems to go away.
It's no mistake, however, to identify some correlation between targeted ad spend and your site's organic coverage. Search expert Matt McGee, says: "I've seen studies over the years that suggest that when you have good visibility on both your paid and organic it increases clickthrough on your pages, and thus traffic, increasing awareness, which leads more to links, etc, etc. So I certainly think there's nothing wrong with spending money on AdWords. But it's a definitely a myth that there's a direct impact on your rankings."

8. Land here
Every page on your site should be treated as potential landing page; you can't assume a visitor is going to land on your homepage or your products overview page. The idea that you have one special search landing page is not helpful. All pages are possible landing pages.

9. Set it and forget it
It’s true that continually jostling for higher rankings, making incessant iterations and tweaking, doesn’t give you time to sit back and monitor the success of your hard work and can be a fruitless process. However, it's also unadvisable to go to the other extreme and assume SEO is a 'one off' project. Good SEO never really ends, much like a successful company wouldn't settle with just one single marketing investment.
If you think you've achieved all your SEO, I'll bet you're not making the most of your website and your offline marketing activities. There's always more that can be done, and even if your rankings don't immediately benefit, your site will. Even with limited resources, even adding or improving a single page every month is better than leaving a static site to flounder, which may, in time, be superseded by your competition and afforded less 'currency' by your users and engines alike.

10. Rankings aren't the only fruit
A lot of people come in to SEO thinking that the end goal is to get rankings; but the end goal is to make money. "If a number one ranking for a certain keyword isn't making you money, it's worthless. If a number three or number four ranking is getting you clicks, you're converting your traffic into customers, then that ranking is much more valuable," says Matt McGee.
This is my favourite myth of all. Being on top is great, but, in my opinion, it isn't the be-all and end-all and it won't necessarily yield your site maximum conversions. Naturally you need prominence, but it's the quality of the site and your content that also matters. I'd wager a site in fourth place on the first page, above the fold, that fulfils the visitors' requirements is, by and large, going to be more successful than one that belies its pole position through lacklustre content, relying more on inbound links and other good fortune to supplant its superior competition.
What really matters is the speed, depth and richness of the content you deliver, and where your audience buys into it, you, your brand, services, or products, and how consistent that message is across the web and in the real world. SEO should be a laboured but fluid process, priming your good work and ensuring it's tweaked, organically, for maximum accessibility; not just an afterthought. Good SEO is about putting your best foot forwards and continually developing the site to be simply as good as it can be. Place your visitors first, and the search engines will follow.
Remember, rankings are a means to an end, they are not the end itself.

The top 10 SEO myths

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1bkuq

30 Key Terms in Landing Page Creation & Optimization [Glossary]

2011-08-18T23:43:00.001-04:00

We have to say "hands down" that Hub Spot is our favorite spot to hang out on the web. And Mike Volpe of HubSpot is one of Social Media PR Solutions' heroes.

Think social media is just kid stuff? Take a look at this list by MIT Graduate, Mike Volpe. Here are just 30 terms that every business should know if you seriously want to "crush it" in this space - as Gary Vaynerchuk says.

Landing Pages are pretty common. Need one? Not sure what they are or how to really leverage it? SMprS is here to assist by providing digital solutions to marketing concerns. ==> www.socialmediaprsolutions.com

Amplify’d from thecustomercollective.com

Landing pages play a critical role in lead generation. After all, they allow your website visitors to convert into leads and express interest in your company’s content.

So what makes a landing page successful? “The number one rule,” said Dr. Flint McGlaughlin at the MarketingSherpa’s Optimization Summit, “is clarity trumps persuasion.” As proud sponsors of this conference, HubSpot will keep sharing the lessons we learn with our audience. But before you jump in landing page optimization, let’s get familiar with some of the key terms used in the process:

1. A/B testing - Testing two different versions of the same landing page to evaluate which one performs better.

2. Authority endorsement – Visual proof that an authority is recognizing the value of your offer. This is a way to establish credibility.

3. Anxiety elements – The page elements creating anxiety for your visitors and reducing their inclination to take action. (For instance, the absence or "Privacy Policy" link next to email field.)

4. Benefit Reinforcement – Similar to value proposition, it is a reinforcement of why the visitor wants to fill out the form.

5. Bounce Rate or Exit Rate – The rate at which a visitor clicks away from your page without converting.

6. Call to action (CTA) – A phrase or button that prompts the visitor to take action, such as “Subscribe Now” or “Download the Whitepaper Today.”

7. Control Page – The initial page you want to improve.

8. Conversion Rate – The rate at which a visitor converts into a lead.

9. Cumulative Optimization Gain – Optimizing a page with a series of tests and gaining higher conversion at the end.

10. Friction – The page elements preventing the visitor from converting into a lead. (For instance, too many calls to action which distract the visitor's attention.)

11. Funnel – The process logic as a visitor gets to your page and completes the "transaction." (Think of a visitor as someone at the top of the funnel. How do you push them to the bottom of the funnel?)

12. Guarantee Images – Images that instill trust and show credibility.

13. KPI – Key Performance Indicators, or the metrics you will look at to track progress toward your goals.

14. Layout – How the landing page is designed.

15. Lead Nurturing Campaign – An email series that can be triggered after someone fills out a form on your landing page.

16. Mockups – An outline defining what your landing page design should be.

17. Motivation of User – The visitor's desire to receive your offer.

18. Navigation – A web page element, usually located at the top, with links that help visitors to navigate through a website.

19. Page Views – The number of views a page got.

20. Returning Visitor – A visitor that is returning to your site, and is generally self-qualifying herself as actively interested in your offer.

21. ROI – The return on investment of your marketing efforts.

22. Security or accreditation seals – Visual elements proving your offer is secure and risk-free.

23. Statistically significant number – The amount of data you need to collect in order to announce accurate results from your testing.

24. Test validation – Proving with data that a test has been successfully conducted.

25. Time on page – How long a visitor spends on your landing page.

26. Treatment Page – The page you have treated and expect to perform better.

27. Value Exchange – Giving out a valuable offer in order to get information from your visitors.

28. Value of proposition – The primary reason why your visitor will choose to convert on your page. (The answer to the “What is there for me?” question.)

29. Variations – The changes you make in order to optimize a landing page.

30. Visitors/uniques – The number of (unique) visitors who came to your page.

30 Key Terms in Landing Page Creation & Optimization [Glossary]
Read more at thecustomercollective.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1bja5

The New Rules of Getting Press for Business

2011-08-17T01:06:00.001-04:00

One of the most cost-effective ways to build buzz, get business and have more clients is to get it media coverage. Traditional media has not gone away - it is singing a new song with social media.

So, capitalize on the Low-Cost social media channels. True, it's easier said than done - but it must be done if you want to stay competitive. Public Relations firms still issue press releases - but make sure your PR firm knows about SEO Press Releases. A business can even monitor sites like HARO or RTIR and get free publicity that way. Here's a link to get connected: http://bit.ly/pamperryconnect

Read the rest of the tips here to learn how to be a "media darling" and found by that ideal customer. www.socialmediaprsolutions.com

Amplify’d from www.inc.com

Make Yourself an Expert

One surefire way to attract the attention of journalists is to promote yourself as an expert in your field, says Samson of crowdSPRING. “Create content designed to position yourself as an indispensable authority on your industry, your city, your profession, or any appropriate topic,” he says. Ways you can accomplish this include writing case studies and white papers that you then distribute to the media, your customers, and other professionals in your industry.

You can also set up an online press center on your company or personal website where you compile all of the stories, mentions, and press releases you have generated, and make them easily accessible, says Samson. “Also include a downloadable press kit with information on your company, your team, and your service or product, as well as photos, bios, and any other material that will be helpful for those who want to write about you,” he says.

Tap Influential Bloggers

Most products are built for a specific population of users or specific use cases, and whatever your product or service, there are bloggers who write about it and are influencers, says Jeff Kear, co-founder of MyWeddingWorkbook.com, which provides online wedding planning software for couples and event planners. “These people are almost always interested in new products and services, so prior to launching your product or service, develop a list of these people with their e-mail and contact info and reach out to them to try out your product or service before it is released to the public. We did this when we launched a free version of our product and we went from 20 registrations a day for our web-based wedding planning software to more than 100 registrations a day for a five-day period soon after our launch.”

Bloggers and journalists are also interested in new trends and data—something that you can provide for them, says Kear. “One of our products is online software for wedding consultants, and these people are very interested in what brides are thinking,” he says. “So we reached out to brides with a survey that asked questions that wedding consultants would be interested in. This provided us with info for 10-15 very focused articles that had proprietary industry data, which we then published on our blog and promoted to bloggers and writers who cover our industry. This kind of activity generated dozens of links to our site from influential industry sites like Wedlock.com, which has played a large role in increasing our site traffic by 168 percent this year.”

Read more on how to measure your site's online influence.

Take on Speaking Engagements

Jasbina Ahluwalia, an attorney turned entrepreneur who founded Intersections Match, a personalized matchmaking service for South Asian singles, says that speaking at events like conferences often leads to interesting PR opportunities. For example: “I recently spoke at a national conference for South Asian physicians and was approached by a person who was filmng a documentary,” says Ahluwalia, whose company has also been profiled in other outlets like Entrepreneur and the Chicago Tribune.

Learn how to improve your presentation skills.

Apply to Awards Programs

While applying to annual industry awards or even more broad-based ones like the Inc. 5000 can be time consuming, they can also attract the attention of the media and new customers, says Judy Sultan, who is the PR manager for Xtreme Lashes, a company specializing in semi-permanent eyelash extensions “Recognition for your innovative idea or good business practices will give you an easy way to publicize your company,” she says. “And winning one award gives you leverage to win another.”

Be Charitable

Ryan Carlin of Roaming Hunger says that good press also results from good deeds. “Attaching yourself to a benefit or charity is one of the easiest and most beneficial practices in PR,” he says. “Consumers love hearing about charitable organizations and their events, and journalists know this.”

Get tips on corporate social responsibility.

The New Rules of Getting Press for Your Start-up
Read more at www.inc.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1bch5

The NOW Revolution: 7 Social Media Imperatives for Business

2011-08-16T02:22:00.001-04:00

Every business need to stay current on new marketing methods - especially in this economy. We are in the digital era and it's important to engage fully and learn the industry if you want to be competitive.

We work with companies and organizations that rely on our expertise. And we deliver. That's because we consume tons of information and exercise the tools recommended to see if they fit our clients needs.

Dont' take our word though - every business needs to do some of their own reading and researching. This book is a good start: THE NOW REVOLUTION.

We always ask every corporation before we begin their campaign: Why do you want to engage in social media? Is it connected to business goals? If not, we dig deeper and find a solution that fits. www.socialmediaprsolutions.com

Amplify’d from prblog.typepad.com via Google Reader

Shared by you
"The NOW Revolution" written by Jay Baer and Amber Naslund has received reviews from the likes of DuctTape Marketing’s John Jantsch, Chris Brogan and Seth Godin. It outlines how you can retool your organization to make real-time business work for you rather than against you.

"You Say You Want a Revolution..."
I got a copy of the book at SXSW earlier this year and really enjoyed it. It covers seven shifts that will help you make your company faster, smarter, and more social. The book includes a lot of bonus material (videos, pdfs, podcasts and links) accessible through Microsoft Tags located throughout the book.

Full case studies in each of the shifts, chronicle success stories from Moosejaw, ThinkGeek,Autodesk, Sweet Leaf Tea, Taylor Guitars, Boingo and Martell Homebuilders. The book also contains examples from 50 additional companies, most of them small and medium-sized businesses.

That's a lot of content.

Shift Happens
As their web site notes, "the book presents seven shifts that businesses need to make to adapt to the speed, expectations, and immediacy of the social web. It’s the operational guide to building and organizing a socially-equipped business, from people to process."

The shifts discussed in the book include:

Engineer a New Bedrock: Without a consistent, powerful corporate culture you can’t win in real-time. -- I'll add that regardless of how we start working with clients on social media, we usually wind up focusing on internal operations before the launch.

Find Talent You Can Trust: Moving fast requires empowering employees to make quick, smart decisions. That impacts HR and hiring. A lot. -- This also gets back to culture. If departments like IT, HR, Customer Service, Legal and Marketing can't talk to each other readily and easily, it's going to be a tough road to journey down.

Organize Your Armies: How social media and social participation are organized and managed internally. -- Process is critical to ease any issues folks might have in getting started.

Answer the New Telephone: The art, methods, and pay-offs of meaningful social listening. -- When passionate customers interact directly with brands for the first time, it has a big impact.

Emphasize Response-Ability: Responding to customer inquiries on the social Web, but also moving beyond that to creating your own stories and conversations. -- If a business has identified its Social Brand, it ensures content created will resonate with customers and start conversation.

Build a Fire Extinguisher: How to find, judge, and solve a social media crisis. -- As much as things change, they seem to stay the same. Companies still do not prepare proactively for communication crisis...online or offline.

Make a Calculator: The many ways you can measure social media, and how to select and utilize the most appropriate metrics for your company. -- This usually starts with the initial planning process. Instead of focusing on what (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or another social platform), focus on why. Why are you engaging in social media? Is it connected to business goals? Success metrics up front make it much easier to measure success once the program is launched.
Read more at prblog.typepad.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1b91s

Six ways to Determine your Public Relations (PR) Budget

2011-08-13T12:01:00.001-04:00

Either you spend time - or spend money. But everything costs something. Businesses know this and have to be very careful with both. The rule of thumb for any budget to determine what is the outcome you want to reach - and work backwards.

If you want to sell $100,000 in new business a year - a $1,000 a month budget will not cut it. Do the math and hire professionals to help. This article will help determine setting PR budgets and how to use social media creativity.

www.socialmediaprsolutions.com

Amplify’d from www.ragan.com

6 ways to determine your PR measurement budget

Conventional wisdom says that 10 percent of the PR budget is the right amount to dedicate to research—a number that is several times greater than the average.

While many within the PR research community would be happy to see a higher percentage for their efforts, the suggestion that there is a specific investment threshold is inaccurate. Like so many of the "rules" of marketing and communications, the 10 percent rule is a myth. Consider the following scenarios:

If you are responsible for launching the next game-changer—think iPad—a 20 percent allocation may be inadequate for proper objectives-setting, strategy development, planning and evaluation. Alternatively, for a campaign that milks a dying brand, 1 percent may be too much.

If you represent a Fortune 500 company with an $80 million PR budget, 3 percent of your annual budget may be more than you need to spend on measurement. On the other hand, a small brand with fewer resources may be more affected by the actual dollars required—rather than a percentage—to conduct reliable research.

If you work for an organization that leans heavily on PR over other forms of marketing, the need for PR to drive business outcomes is greater. As such, money that might otherwise go towards marketing research may instead be allocated for PR research. In this case, 10 percent may be just right. If, however, the organization emphasizes direct marketing or mass-market advertising, marketing should command greater resources, even if it siphons money from PR.

In these scenarios, different situations call for different levels of investment.

While budgeting depends on a given set of circumstances, blindly following conventional wisdom will almost certainly lead to problems. It is better to create your own wisdom. Consider the following guidelines for determining your PR research budget:

1. What are your organization's objectives? Relating an organization's activities and investments to its overall goals and objectives is not confined to PR or research, but not doing so is a surefire path to failure.

2. What are your department's objectives? Just as it is essential for the PR department to support the organization's priorities, so too must the research strategy and tactics support the department's objectives. Not aligning your research objectives to the department's goals leads to irrelevancy.

3. What other departments will be affected? In your quest to establish the optimal PR research plan, you should determine the impact, if any, on other departments. To go through the planning process without considering others is to risk that your plans will be less effective, or even counterproductive.

4. What other programs are currently underway? Know whether similar projects—marketing and communication research programs, for example—are in process. Larger organizations are often so decentralized that it is impossible for departments to coordinate with each other. It is essential that you know what else might be in play.

5. How will you use what you learn? Research is an essential step in PR planning and evaluation. While you may not know how you will apply every aspect of your findings, you should have a strong sense of what the research will reveal so that every dollar you invest will work towards that goal.

6. Who are your internal clients and how do they feel? Ultimately, the executives who provide the funding will determine your success or failure. Understanding their expectations and preferences can be difficult, but not knowing how they feel in advance is risky.

Research is a core element in PR, but it need not be mysterious, expensive or complicated. One way to ensure that your PR research program arrives on time, on budget and yields the results you seek is to begin creating organizational—rather than conventional—wisdom. Recognize your aspirations and limitations before spending the first dollar.

Mark Weiner is CEO of PRIME Research-Americas. A version of this article originally ran on commpro.biz. Learn more about PRIME at www.prime-research.com.

There is no set amount that every company should allocate to measuring PR efforts, but these questions can help you determine the budget that's best for you.
Read more at www.ragan.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1aw8u

Detroit Social Media PR Roundtable Discussion

2011-08-12T13:36:00.009-04:00

Cheryl L. Bunkley, a Lifestyle & Brand Marketing Consultant, recently had a roundtable discussion about social media PR with some Detroit professionals. I was glad to be part. Hear (or read) the discussion below. YOUR Comments welcome!

www.socialmediaprsolutions.com

Amplify’d from the-creative-collection-detroit-edition.onsugar.com

Social Media Roundtable Discussion

Pam Perry              Melih Oztalay          Dwight Zahringer          Tom Nixon

......................................................................................................................................

Q. Based on your experience, do most clients prefer to outsource their social media services or, do they prefer to coordinate their social media needs in-house?

PP:   Most clients and their staffs are super busy. That’s why they reach out to us to be their “social media pr solution.” They have one person to be our point person on staff but basically it’s up to our team to do all of their SMM services. This includes creating the strategy and publishing the content to growing their email database and keeping it current.

DZ:    We are seeing a pattern, similar to a few years ago with "website maintenance" where a company wants to elect an employee to help or partake in the management of social media. While the idea is good it is almost always a failure and they take it to outsource and work with a liaison internally at the company.

MO:    We find that the results are mixed and size of business does not seem to make a difference.

For businesses that are early adopters of Internet technologies and are committed to a “Internet team”, will focus on managing social media internally with only a request for consultation to review, improve or enhance their efforts.

Businesses that are not as web savvy will outsource their social media and the process requires close communications with the client to know what activities are taking place to insure the social media efforts are effective.

In either case, if a business seeks consultation or outsourcing, a professional web marketing agency can assist with social media that goes beyond Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Not only is there cross communication in social media that can include blogging and creating an industry community, but Google’s recent Google+ with the Google 1+ button will directly affect what can effectively be called “social media search”. Another way of viewing this is “Facebook for Business” in which your Google community will affect search engine rankings of websites in search results.

TN:   Most businesses at this point are still exploring social media. Most read that they need to dive in head first, so they go ahead and jump. They prefer to start in-house...but over time, they realize that something’s not clicking, and they aren’t getting the results they anticipated when reading that exciting article in Time or Newsweek. Then comes fatigue. What many soon realize is that they didn’t have the in-house resources to pull off what amounts to a very significant undertaking. They lack the time and personnel to remain actively engaged on social networks (so they ask someone to wear a new hat), and they lack the experience and strategic oversight to set goals, establish metrics and monitor success relative to social. At that point, that’s when businesses look to outsource.

* * *

Q. Do you consider having a “social media presence” to be an absolute must for a company to be successful in today's business climate?

PP:   Yes and clients realize this too. The game has changed and smart business owners and corporations are changing with the times by implementing new, targeted and cost effective marketing methods via the internet. It’s all about search – and they aim to be found online. This is survival of the fittest.

DZ:   It is not a "Must" but in order to be competitive you need to participate. Even more so now with the emergence of Google Plus and +1. Social activity is now a consideration in the ranking algorithm for a company, their products and services. If you are not at a minimum listening and responding when and where necessary you are missing many opportunities and not in the "norm". Like having a working website that will harvest leads, calls and sales you need to do the same with social media. If not you'll jump on after you hear of a great case study from your competitor.

MO:   The short answer is “Yes”. I think that the problem with social media for business is that businesses do not understand how to best use it or how to use it most efficiently. Many businesses see social media as a waste of time, when in fact it allows for the most efficient communication and relationship marketing through many people very easily.

Additionally, many businesses see this as a B2C marketing tool and not so much as a B2B marketing tool. What the B2B world doesn’t necessarily realize “yet”, is that staff at other businesses are between 20 – 40 years of age and they all grew up with the Internet. Of course the first thing this B2B age range staff does is use the web to seek out other businesses, products, services and do so not only through search, but social media.

If we add the new Google+ social media tool into the mix, we will find that businesses will migrate towards Google+ much more readily as it will have an impact on their website ranking position and what others in their networked community will see. By default, businesses will be more likely to tap into social media whether they want to or not.

TN: Like any consultant’s favorite answer, is “it depends.” Again, businesses need to guard their enthusiasm when reading about the latest shiny object in the news or online—the latest shiny object being the collective “social media.” For most companies, there is an appropriate social strategy to explore, identify and define. But you shouldn’t assume it to be so. Our advice to companies is not to jump on Facebook because everyone is doing it. Do the work upfront to truly define your audiences, examine and communicate your overall business strategy, and from there define your marketing strategy, from which will flow your social strategy. If your target audience is 60+ men, it’s likely that Facebook has no place in your social, marketing or business strategies. Ditto Twitter. LinkedIn is a maybe. Think first; act later...you can’t go wrong taking that approach.
Read more at the-creative-collection-detroit-edition.onsugar.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1aroq

Leverage Social Media - DON'T FORCE FEED IT

2011-08-12T01:03:00.001-04:00

The way we see it the biggest mistakes brands make with social media: Not targeting the right message to the right audience. Creating content that speaks to the culture of the audience you're trying to reach is really an art.

It takes a marketing communications professional (with a team) to put together the right campaign to deliver results. And it all begins with research and knowing where your target hangs out and what they respond to. You just can't slap up a Facebook page and think the audience will flock to it.

One tweet does not fit all. Brands need people who are skilled with speaking the language and having influence with the audience they're trying to reach.

www.socialmediaprsolutions.com

Amplify’d from www.twistimage.com

The Biggest Mistake Brands Make When It Comes To Social Media

What is the biggest mistake that brands make when it comes to Social Media?

Without question, this is the number one question I get asked in interviews, at speaking events and at roundtable forums (in fact, it happened today during a panel conversation for Connected For Business Magazine). You can shore up the many little instances, fumbles, mistakes and blunders into this one concept: The Social Contract. Prior to these Social Media channels, brands had a social contract with the media (for the most part, this social contract still exists, to this day) that worked/works like this: Something happens and the brand has a PR crisis on their hands. They are called to task by the media. The brand formulates a strategy and a plan, trains the media spokesperson from within the organization and then comes out publicly with a response - which is typically done in the formats of interviews, press releases and a press conference). From there, the media formulates their take (they may even go back to the company to ask for clarification or more information) and then the information gets disseminated to the public through these mass media channels. During this time, the company rarely interfaces with individuals from the public. They communicate through their chosen media platforms. There is an unwritten social contract between businesses and the media - an agreed upon process of response and how it all comes together. This isn't done to slant the story, it's just the way the "Gods of Production," as Jay Rosen calls them, works.

People - like you and I - don't have a social contract with brands and this is tripping them up.

The mistakes that happen in Social Media (everything from United breaks guitars to Dell Hell) all demonstrate that people do not act in accordance to the way that trained and professional journalists act, and that brands can't interact with individuals with the same kind of language, posture and social contract that they have with the mass media. The biggest mistake that brands make is thinking that they can act, respond and communicate with these individuals as if they are speaking to a journalist.

It's not just in the communications... it's the marketing to.

When brands fail at Social Media (and then ask "why?"), one look at most of their "marketing efforts" reveals a broadcasting and/or advertising posture that is not only narcissistic but self-serving. The platforms already exist for advertising, so if a brand is leveraging a Facebook page, YouTube videos or a Blog to speak to individuals in the same way that they have traditionally developed a magazine or television ad, it's missing the point (and opportunity) as well. Don't get me wrong, many brands are getting results from these types of tactics, but it tends to be the brands that are leveraging the power of their ad budgets to both interrupt and clamor the consumer's online engagement experience. That not Social Media marketing... that's advertising in Social Media channels and there's a big difference between the two.

It's a mindset.

Brands can overcome the mistake of following the traditional media social contract in one simple move: real interactions between real human beings. Leverage the actual people within the organization to speak to people as the people that they are. This is driven by a mindset of compassion and care by the brand to build loyalty over a customer service mandate that sounds and reads as if it's being read out of a manual or a script. While the move is simple, the ability for the organization to change is hard. The mindset is not a personal or an individual one, it's groupthink that permeates an organization and that is deadlocked by the legal department. See, individuals don't have these issues, so they tweet, Blog and update their status' with whatever is on their minds and - when it's something negative about a brand - the brand tends to react as if there is that implied social contract.

It's nothing new.

Social Media has been banging this drum of human interaction for over a decade now (need I remind us that The Cluetrain Manifesto is nearly twelve years old?). This kind of talk was happening long before this past decade entered the fray (and all of the technology and connectivity that came along with it). In the end, it's not really a "mistake" that brands are making when it comes to Social Media. It's actually a mistake that brands are making at a culture level (the DNA of the modern organization). The good news is that it's not terminal. This is a reversible disease.

It makes you wonder why after all of the in-market proof, brands still struggle with it?
Read more at www.twistimage.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1aojw

Social Media Marketing: One Spoke in the Marketing Wheel

2011-08-11T14:09:00.001-04:00

What is the Impact of Social Media on Your Business? Is it the hub of your marketing. Or the icing on the cake? The bottom line for social media marketing - and any marketing for that matter - should be achieving business objectives. That's what marketing does. It's the engine that "moves the needle." Whether you are looking to strengthen your brand, or reposition the business in the marketplace, reach new customers, connect with old customers - this should all lead to increase in sales.

Why be in business if there is not profit? Social media marketing (when done correctly) will deliver a good ROI. It is an investment. A smart one.

www.socialmediaprsolutions.com

Again, "In the end, it’s all about how to connect social media to business results and make social media a key part of your digital marketing strategy."

Amplify’d from www.cmo.com

Slide Show: The Impact Of Social Media

For the typical marketer, the social story goes something like this:
1. You read a story about how the social-sphere ruined a brand.
2. You decide that it is important to at least listen to the conversation.
3. Now you decide it is time to join the conversation, so you set up Twitter and Facebook accounts. But no real strategies are behind them.

What is the impact of social media on your business? Clearly, it’s time to prove the value of your social-media efforts. Social media has been a “must-do”’ for digital marketers, yet has remained unaccountable in its contribution to revenue. Adobe’s Aseem Chandra, who frequently talks to the world's top marketers about their strategies, says: "In every conversation I have, CMOs pull me aside and whisper, 'What should I be doing in social media? What’s the value of a ‘Like’? Why is my social strategy bombing?" The slide show that follows is a condensed version of what Chandra, a major force behind Adobe's new SocialAnalytics solution, tells them. In the end, it’s all about how to connect social media to business results and make social media a key part of your digital marketing strategy.
Read more at www.cmo.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1amyh

Email marketing is not dead: Social Media Gave it Wings

2011-08-10T15:12:00.001-04:00

So your open rates for your emails have gone down? No worries. Give it some new life by spreading your message via the social media channels. That's where everyone is hanging out now anyway. If you use Constant Contact, Aweber or any of the others - they have now built in their programs a way to add the "like" and "share" buttons.

So, even if not everyone is opening the emails - if the ones that do open them "SHARE" via their social networks - you're reaching a whole new audience, a whole new way. Those "fresh eyes" may be an even better target than those on your email list.

Remember, socialize your get more ROI. www.socialmediaprsolutions.com

Amplify’d from blogs.imediaconnection.com

"Social"-ize Your Email Marketing in 5 Easy Ways

Even if you're not in the business of email marketing, you've probably heard the prediction that social media will eventually replace the need for email marketing. I beg to differ. While there's no doubt that social media has fundamentally changed the marketing landscape, email remains a powerful way to send and share information; there's a reason why companies such as Groupon, Daily Candy and Gilt Groupe rely on email to deliver their can't-miss deals and information.

To be sure, these brands also are avid users of social media, and they do a great job making sure their emails and offers are easily share-able on social networks. Social media is a partner, not a threat, to email marketing because together they strengthen your message, and provide new channels for getting in front of both new and potential customers.

Unfortunately, many businesses – especially smaller ones – simply do not have the time to figure out how to integrate social media and email marketing in an effective and measurable way. If you're crunched for time and want to get the most bang for your efforts, here are five easy ways to make your emails more social.

1. Include live "follow" buttons to your social media profiles in your email. Yes, perhaps I'm preaching to the choir, but you'd be surprised at how many companies still don't have them. A little HTML knowledge is all you need to accomplish this, and there are lots of different (and free) graphical buttons online for you to choose from.

2. Make sure your email service provider offers hosted versions of your emails. This is simply the email you've created hosted on a Web page, so that it can be accessed by anyone (e.g., someone who clicked on a link that was shared on a social network). Your email service provider should offer an easy way to insert a link that has been automagically created anywhere in your email.

3. Embed social sharing icons in your emails. These are different from the buttons I recommend in No. 1; these icons allow your recipients to post a link to the hosted version of your email on their social networks. Some email service providers provide tracking and reporting on how many people posted your email to their networks, which is valuable information about your email's overall effectiveness and relevance.

4. Make it as easy as possible for current subscribers to share your email by adding both "forward to a friend" and "sign up for emails" links in the email body. The "forward to a friend" link allows them to do exactly that; the "sign up for emails" link should lead to a landing page where their friend can simply type in his/her email address and automatically be added to your subscriber list.

5. Add an email sign-up form on your Facebook page. This is a fantastic way to let your Facebook fans know that you have an email newsletter they shouldn't miss. Simply create a separate tab on your page so that visitors will know exactly where they can sign up for more information. Include a reason or two why they should sign up, such as recent "email only" offers or promotions.

So, there you have it. You've got no excuses now!
Read more at blogs.imediaconnection.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1aj58

Survey of 200 CE0s view on Social Media

2011-08-08T19:54:00.001-04:00

It's even more important in today's economy to embrace and use social media as a staple in the marketing mix. From blogger engagement, community management, content creation and copy development - brands must learn to properly add social media to their marketing mix or hire a firm. Either learn or hire out. This is the best was to reach target audiences 24 hours a day, seven days a week - very cost effectively.

www.socialmediaprsolutions.com

Amplify’d from www.blackweb20.com

There has been mixed reviews when companies, as opposed to employees, are transparent and join social networks. Some companies are hesitant because of how their brand may be portrayed online. When they open the door for consumer feedback through open dialogue, the responses and comments may not always be so positive. Years ago it was a must-have for a company to have a website as a place for consumers to shop or learn more about the company. As years progress and technology is used for different communication tactics, companies must also change and communicate in ways that are identifiable with their consumers, such as social networks.

Public relations firm Burson-Marsteller and PRWeek recently conducted a survey of 200 U.S. CEOs and the results include data on how these individuals view social media/social networks, how often they use the tools, and how they view the tools as profitable from a company perspective. More than half of the CEOs believe that word of mouth, trade media and blogs have increased their influence on a company’s business in comparison to less than half believing that traditional media outlets, such as CNN and the National evening news, have the same influence. 43% of the CEOs use social media as a personal account at least a few times a week. More surprisingly 25% say that they never use social media!

That 25% completely shocks me. I’m not sure who the CEOs are, but these are the individuals who are running top corporations. How can they make decisions about what their consumers like if they are not aware of the conversations that are happening online? Only thing I can hope is that someone on their team is aware of these conversations and is more perceptive and can leverage what their consumers want from the company.

From the survey only 29% of the CEOs state that social media, as a corporate communications tool, is very or extremely effective. I understand that a large number of CEOs may be unfamiliar with the space. In my opinion, the CEOs that are not familiar have the mindset that social media is ineffective. One CEO who does understand the importance of social media is Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh. He has a Twitter profile with 19k+ followers. Some of these people are a fan of the brand, but more people are fans of the innovative way he communicates to consumers on behalf of Zappos. He talks about things happening at the company, things happening in his life; both of which can reach the 20k+ people who are following him simultaneously in 140 characters.

It will take months for the remaining 71% of CEOs who believe social media is either somewhat effective or not effective to catch up to those CEOs who understand the importance and are working daily to portray their brand as a web 2.0 established company. Regardless of the amount of time it takes these CEOs, being open to the idea and being educated about the tools are the first steps to reaching consumers in a forever-changing technology platform.

200 CEOs Share Their Opinion of Social Media
Read more at www.blackweb20.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1adu0